April 22nd 2026
A new report from PPL, Towards a Model Neighbourhood: Next steps on implementing neighbourhood health, sets out how more joined-up, community-based care can be developed.
PPL identifies access to information and digital systems as a key enabler of neighbourhood care, stating:
“For people involved in neighbourhood health to work together effectively they need to be able to access and share appropriate information.”
For the Digital Care Hub, these findings align closely with what we hear from adult social care providers, and highlight some important areas for further focus.
Information sharing is fundamental to joined-up care
One of the report’s clearest messages is that effective neighbourhood working depends on professionals being able to access and share appropriate information across organisations.
It highlights that existing information governance rules already allow data to be shared for direct care, where there are appropriate agreements in place. In some areas, shared care records are already supporting more coordinated working, helping professionals make better decisions and reduce duplication.
However, the report also recognises that systems are not always aligned. Where partners cannot work from a single shared record, technical solutions are needed to enable equivalent information sharing.
From our work with care providers, we know that in practice this can still be difficult to achieve. Care staff often tell us they face challenges accessing timely, relevant information, or are required to use multiple systems that do not connect.
This is why improving interoperability and building confidence in how information is shared are such important next steps for the sector.
Digital must enable new ways of working
Alongside information sharing, the report places strong emphasis on digital as a key enabler of neighbourhood health.
It recognises that digital access and interactions are now part of people’s expectations, and that national policy increasingly depends on digital enablement, from improving access to care to supporting services outside hospital settings.
Importantly, the report stresses that this goes beyond digitising existing processes. Instead, digital should support new models of care, such as remote monitoring at home, improved collaboration between professionals, and tools that involve people and their carers more directly.
At the Digital Care Hub, we see this as a key opportunity. Digital transformation should make care more joined up and easier to deliver, not more complex. That means focusing on tools that genuinely support collaboration, improve access to information, and work for frontline staff as well as the people they support.
The report sets out a clear set of principles for digital solutions, including interoperability, security, scalability and supporting self-management.
In our view, putting these principles into practice will depend not only on technology, but also on building trust between partners and ensuring systems work across organisational boundaries. It is also essential that non-digital access remains available, alongside support for people who may be excluded from digital services.
A shared direction for health and social care
Michelle Corrigan, CEO of the Digital Care Hub, said:
“This report reflects many of the insights we hear from care providers across the country. It reinforces the importance of getting information sharing right and investing in digital systems that genuinely support joined-up, person-led care. We welcome the contribution this report makes to the conversation, particularly its focus on practical solutions that enable health and social care to work together more effectively at neighbourhood level.”
She added:
“For adult social care, the message is clear. We need systems that allow care staff to access and share information easily, and digital tools that support collaboration across organisations. But we must also ensure that digital transformation works for everyone, including those who need non-digital routes or additional support.”
Continue the conversation: webinar 21 May 2026
To explore these issues further, the Digital Care Hub is hosting Digital Care in Focus: Neighbourhood health this May.
As part of this, we invite you to join our webinar on 21 May 2026, where we will explore the role of social care data in neighbourhood health services.
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