New neighbourhood framework: what is means for digital in mental health

The newly published Neighbourhood Health Framework sets out a shift towards locally integrated, digitally enabled care, but real‑world delivery will demand far more than structural diagrams. In this session, speakers discuss how neighbourhood models can be operationalised in today’s pressured environment: GP partnerships squeezed by rising costs, heightened data‑controller liability, and the demands of the new 2026/27 “see everyone on the day” contract.
 
The panel looks at neighbourhood opportunities in mental health, where need is greatest and system fragmentation most visible – how neighbourhood teams, VCS partners, community mental health trusts and independent providers can tackle escalating ADHD and autism waiting lists, strengthen early help for children and young people, and create smoother pathways that prevent families from cycling between services.
 
Together, they will explore how digital, data and contracting reform can turn the framework into accountable, deliverable neighbourhood care.