First of its kind partnership to revolutionise preventative healthcare funding in the UK

An innovative new care model has launched in Hertfordshire, which aims to keep older patients out of hospital, by offering proactive care in the community. 

This landmark partnership led by Macmillan Cancer Support, non-profit enterprise Social Finance and West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (WHTH), leverages around £10m of social investment to shift care from hospitals into community services, with Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (CLCH), leading on the delivery of the new care model for thousands of older people in the local area. This pilot scheme aims to create a sustainable, scalable model for neighbourhood health that could be replicated across the country. 

The partnership is the first of its kind in the UK and supports the government’s 10-Year Plan for the NHS using a novel social investment model to proactively tackle the growing demand for care. Current funding models often trap patients in a cycle of reactive, hospital-based treatment by prioritising short-term spending.  

In contrast, this new initiative focuses on long-term, preventative care, providing a robust solution to the challenges faced by an aging population with increasingly complex health needs, including those with cancer.   

At the heart of this partnership is the Neighbourhood Transformation Fund, which will focus on supporting older people with multiple health conditions in South and West Hertfordshire.  

The initiative will: 

• Establish a proactive anticipatory care model: Led by CLCH, multi-disciplinary teams will support up to 2,000 older people across four neighbourhoods, delivering holistic, community-based care. This person-centred approach is designed to meet individual needs while helping to prevent hospital admissions. 
• Utilise a repayable grant mechanism also known as a non-profit social investment model: A key innovation of this is a repayable grant that ties the NHS to paying for the intervention only when it demonstrably reduces acute hospital spending. This de-risks the investment and ensures funds are tied to positive patient outcomes. 
• Create a "Neighbourhood Integrator": A dedicated, locally owned investment vehicle will be established as a Community Interest Company (CIC). This allows for the benefits of reduced hospital spending to be reinvested directly back into neighbourhood teams and enables the partnership to attract additional investment from other third-party funders. 
• Fund an "Anchor Offer": This programme, initially funded by a non-repayable grant from Macmillan, will provide shared infrastructure, small grants for local grassroots organisations, and opportunities for peer-to-peer learning. 

This model not only binds the system to shifting resources from hospital-based treatment to community-based prevention but also offers a multi-year investment framework that reflects the time needed for these services to have a real impact.  

This collaborative approach, which harnesses investment from outside the NHS, is set to reshape health systems from within and empower local VCFSE (Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise) partners.  The initiative is part of a wider set of activities led by the South & West Hertfordshire Health & Care Partnership, which brings together NHS, Local Authority and VCSFE to design, deliver and improve services for local residents. 

James Benson, Chief Executive Officer at Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “This partnership marks a pivotal moment in how we care for older people with complex health needs. By shifting the focus from reactive hospital treatment to proactive care in the community, we’re not only improving outcomes for patients, but also building a more sustainable model for the future of the NHS. 

“The Neighbourhood Transformation Fund enables us to invest in what matters most -personalised, preventative care delivered by multi-disciplinary teams who know their communities. This innovative funding approach ensures that resources are tied directly to patient benefit, allowing us to reinvest savings into our health system. 

“We’re proud to be part of a partnership that is reimagining care delivery and demonstrating how collaboration, innovation and community-led solutions can transform lives.” 

Matthew Coats, Chief Executive of West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said:

“This has the potential to be a game-changer for how we care for elderly patients with multiple conditions.

“We must break the cycle of endless hospital visits when people hit crisis point and look at how we provide care in a smarter, more proactive way and get the longer-term support people need and want.

“By harnessing the collective expertise, support and local know how of a wide range of partners and community groups, we can provide a truly tailored, joined up and effective service for people in their home and within their local area.

“This innovative financial partnership allows us to invest in proactive, preventative services in a way that is financially responsible and sustainable for the long term – but also one which is directly linked to results through lower hospital admissions.

Gemma Peters, Chief Executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, added:

"The number of people diagnosed with cancer is growing, and this partnership confronts a harsh truth: some people have deeply unequal experiences of care, shaped by who they are and where they live.

These are systemic challenges that no single organisation can solve alone. We believe in a different way to create change - one that places people and communities at the heart.

That's why Macmillan is utilising social investment to catalyse system-wide change and empower community organisations as co-creators of services. We're building a more equitable and effective healthcare system from the ground up and creating a scalable blueprint for change."

This partnership marks a significant milestone in the evolution of sustainable healthcare funding and delivery, providing a blueprint for a more effective, patient-centred and integrated future.

Notes to editors:  

About CLCH  

Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (CLCH) provides a range of community health services to 14 London boroughs and Hertfordshire, serving a population of 4.1 million people – larger than the population of Wales.  

The Trust’s 5,300 staff provide 105 clinical services in a range of settings including people’s own homes, care homes, community clinics, community centres, schools, hospices and inpatient rehabilitation wards.   

The range of services differs between different areas, and includes:  

• children and family services  

• walk-in and urgent care   

• adult community nursing  

• long-term condition management  

• rehabilitation, neuro-rehabilitation and therapies  

• specialist community services   

• dental and sexual health services  

• end of life care.    

In 2024/25 CLCH had 3.7 million patient contacts, undertook 1.3 million home visits, and provided 76,437 days caring for patients in our bedded units, without which they would have been in a main hospital.  

In 2024/25, 99.7% of our patients felt staff treated them with dignity and respect and 97.1% felt staff took the time to get to know them.  

CLCH is rated as ‘good’ by the CQC.  

 

For further information, please contact clcht.comms@nhs.net