Neighbourhood health rebuild: Turning NHS policy into delivery

Alongside Kelly Crews, Head of Decarbonisation at Willmott Dixon, the discussion brought together senior voices from across the NHS and industry to focus on what it will take to move from ambition to delivery at scale.

Why the Neighbourhood Health programme matters

At the heart of the programme is the creation of new Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs), designed to bring healthcare and wellbeing services closer to communities while easing pressure on existing acute and primary care estates.

The scale of ambition reflects the urgency. The NHS is targeting 120 centres by 2030 and 250 by 2035, with a particular focus on areas experiencing the lowest life expectancy. As Ollie Clarke, Head of Capital at NHS England, emphasised during the discussion, without delivery at scale, pressure on existing infrastructure will become increasingly unsustainable over the next decade.

The programme is a key part of the 10 Year Health Plan and signals a shift towards a more preventative, community-based model of care. As Kelly highlighted, the long-term ambition is clear: to move the system towards prevention rather than cure, while ensuring that estates strategy supports that transition.

From ambition to delivery

The discussion made clear that ambition alone will not deliver the programme. Success will depend on translating policy into a delivery model that can operate at pace, at scale, and with consistency.

Simon Corben, Director and Head of Profession at NHS Estates, outlined the core ingredients: strong partnerships, clear outcomes, and the ability to deliver high-quality facilities across a wide programme of work. Delivering hundreds of schemes efficiently while maintaining quality will require a coordinated and disciplined approach.

There is also a significant opportunity to support workforce growth, both during delivery and in the long-term operation of these facilities. However, the timeline is ambitious and the healthcare sector is already under pressure. Meeting these targets will require a step change in how projects are planned, procured and delivered.

Rethinking partnerships and procurement

A central theme of the panel was the role of partnerships in unlocking delivery. Effective collaboration between the public and private sectors will be essential, but it must be underpinned by clarity.

Sarah Beaumont-Smith, Chair of the Neighbourhood Health Forum, emphasised the importance of having experienced teams on both sides of a partnership, with a clear understanding of roles, risks and expectations from the outset. Open and transparent communication will be critical if the programme is to benefit from the full range of expertise available.

From a delivery perspective, there is also a need to move towards more programmatic procurement models. Creating opportunities for suppliers to work across multiple projects and sites can increase efficiency, support innovation and improve viability. It allows for greater standardisation where appropriate, while still enabling solutions that respond to local needs.

As Hugh Robinson, Development Director at GB Partnerships, noted, building confidence across the supply chain early - through committed pipelines and signed contracts - will be key to maintaining momentum and protecting the programme from wider uncertainties.

In short, if the programme is to meet its targets, partnerships must be structured not just for individual success, but for sustained delivery over time.

Embedding sustainability from the outset

Sustainability must be central to the programme, not an afterthought, and this was a key area of focus in the discussion led by Kelly. The scale of development presents a major opportunity to embed net zero principles across both new builds and refurbishment projects.

For new facilities, this means designing for long-term resilience. Clear standards that address both embodied and operational carbon will be essential, alongside a focus on whole-life cost. With energy prices remaining volatile, maximising on-site energy generation and reducing long-term operating costs will be critical considerations.

Refurbishment will play an equally important role. Making better use of existing assets requires high-quality data and early engagement across the supply chain. Done well, refurbishment can extend the life of buildings, reduce carbon impact, and even create opportunities for surplus energy generation that supports wider strategies.

As Simon reflected, the specification being developed for new NHCs strikes a balance between consistency and flexibility - allowing solutions to respond to local contexts while maintaining high standards. Combined with the construction sector’s recent progress in sustainable innovation, this provides a strong foundation for delivery.

Defining success

Looking ahead, success in the short to medium term will be defined by momentum. Within the next three years, delivery should be well underway, with strong partnerships established and projects progressing on site.

For Hugh, this means seeing projects actively on site and contracts secured across the programme - helping to insulate delivery from wider political or economic disruption. Simon similarly highlighted the importance of maintaining pace and continuing to harness innovation across the market.

Just as importantly, Sarah and Ollie both stressed that communities must see tangible benefits. Bridging the gap between policy ambition and lived experience will be critical, particularly in areas where health inequalities are most pronounced.

If the programme can deliver high-quality facilities, establish effective partnerships and maintain pace, it will send a powerful signal - not only that large-scale infrastructure programmes remain achievable, but that they can drive meaningful improvements in public health outcomes.

Ultimately, the objective is clear: better care, closer to home, supporting healthier communities for longer. Delivering on that promise will require collective effort, but the opportunity to transform how healthcare is experienced at a local level is significant - and one that the sector is ready to embrace.