Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) are set to become “the place to go for most health needs”, anchoring care firmly within local communities. New guidance from NHS England, published on 15 April 2026, sets out how regions and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are expected to turn that ambition into deliverable, funded schemes over the current planning period.
The guidance positions NHCs as a core component of neighbourhood health delivery, working alongside care provided at home and through digital channels. It establishes a national strategic framework for regions and ICBs, working with providers, to identify, plan and bring forward NHC developments that support the wider shift from hospital based care to preventative, community based models.
Alongside this strategic direction, the guidance provides practical planning instructions for ICBs. Supporting materials include a design and performance specification, an activity calculator and illustrative layout drawings to support the delivery of new-build NHCs, intended to help systems move from concept to credible delivery proposals. Together, these documents are designed to bring greater consistency and pace to the development of neighbourhood health infrastructure.
The guidance also sets clear expectations on estate planning. It outlines the estate archetypes to be considered, approaches to assessing and optimising existing assets, and the funding routes available to support delivery. Central to this is the requirement for regions and ICBs to develop a robust and prioritised pipeline of NHC schemes, aligned to neighbourhood health models and system estates strategies.
As part of the current planning round, ICBs are expected to work closely with their NHS England regional teams to submit a strategic NHC pipeline by Thursday 28 May. This pipeline will be a key mechanism for demonstrating deliverability and aligning local ambition with national priorities.
The guidance should be read alongside our article on the Neighbourhood Health Framework, which explores the wider operating model that NHCs are intended to support and the implications for commissioning, providers and partnerships at neighbourhood level.
National ambition and scale
Government commitments include the development of 250 neighbourhood health centres by 2035, with 120 expected by 2030. Delivery will involve a mix of upgrading existing buildings and constructing new centres, with the balance determined by local need, value for money and deliverability.
This long term ambition provides systems with clarity but also creates immediate pressure to demonstrate credible early pipelines.
What defines a NHC?
An NHC is defined by function rather than form. It is not simply a new building, but a hub that supports integrated neighbourhood level delivery. Core features include on site general practice, co location of community health, mental health, local authority and voluntary sector services, and operation at a neighbourhood scale of around 50,000 people.
There is also a clear expectation on access: NHCs should operate for a minimum of 12 hours a day, six days a week. While neighbourhood health is an operating model, the guidance is clear that appropriate estate is a critical enabler.
Expected service components
Although service configurations will vary, NHCs are expected to support a broad mix of activity. This includes general practice and primary care network services, community and intermediate care teams, primary care led mental health services, clinics and diagnostics, and – where appropriate – urgent neighbourhood services.
Shared spaces for multidisciplinary working are strongly emphasised, reinforcing the role of NHCs as places where integration happens in practice, not just on paper. The details spatial and operational expectations sit in separate NHC design specification.
Estate options
To support local planning, the guidance identifies four non prescriptive estate archetypes.
- Upgrading or extending existing NHS estate (hub and spoke models)
- Repurposing civic or community buildings (eg. libraries, leisure centres)
- Cohort specific hubs (eg. women’s health hubs, family hubs) aligned with neighbourhood health
- Purpose built new centres, where existing estate cannot meet population needs
ICBs are expected to prioritise reuse and upgrade before pursuing new build options, reflecting both affordability constraints and wider public sector estate objectives.
System assets, partnership working
A defining principle of the guidance is that NHCs are system assets. They may sit within NHS, local authority or other public estate, and are defined by their role in neighbourhood service delivery rather than by ownership.
Strong partnership arrangements, clear information governance frameworks and a single accountable organisation for each scheme are essential, particularly where multiple services are co located.
Funding and delivery routes
Funding routes depend on scheme type. Upgrades and refurbishments are expected to use public capital, while new builds will typically combine a 20% public capital contribution with a 80% majority share delivered through a new publicly led public–private partnership (PPP) model.
PPP schemes involve long term unitary charges and must demonstrate affordability and value for money. New builds are expected to be brought forward only where they represent the strongest overall option.
ICB planning requirements
By 28 May 2026, regions working with ICBs must submit:
- How they will define neighbourhoods geographically in their area
- A mapped pipeline of existing facilities, upgrades and new builds
- Early site specific proposals with indicative capital requirements
- Identification of disposals enabled by the estate strategy
This work will support existing ICS estate strategies and the medium-term capital planning.
Scheme approval and assessment
Proposals will be assessed through a new national approvals process aligned with Treasury Green Book principles.
Contact us
If you're considering how the new NHS England guidance on NHCs will impact your estate strategy, delivery pipeline or partnership arrangements, our health and care team would be pleased to help. For an initial discussion, please contact Rob Day and Jennifer Lewis, who lead our work on NHCs.
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