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Community health services FAQs

What are community health services?

Community health services cover an extensive and diverse range of activities so are often difficult to define. Services are delivered in a wide range of settings – including in people’s own homes as well as in community clinics, community centres and schools – so can be less visible than services delivered in hospitals and GP surgeries. We are mainly talking about physical health services.

The key feature of community services is they provide personalised care in local communities, so they are well-connected at a local level. They help people live as independent and fulfilling a life as possible for as long as possible.



What services are you asking about, and do they cover adults and children?

You can find lists of adult community health services and children’s community health services on our website.


Why are you asking now?
We know more and more people in Kent and Medway are living longer, often with multiple long-term conditions. We also know as people grow older, and more people live with complex health conditions or disabilities at all ages, they have better lives when they are living independently at home, with care being provided as close to home as possible.

Currently, for some people, access to different community care services can vary depending on where they live in Kent and Medway. We want to reduce variation of services so that everyone, regardless of where they live, can access the same care and support.

We want to take advantage of technology that offers new ways to deliver healthcare closer to home, and we want to make sure our services are delivered in the right place to support the changing needs of the people of Kent and Medway.



What organisations currently provide community health care in Kent and Medway?

The range of services vary between the four Health and Care Partnerships across Kent and Medway. They commonly include community nursing, specialist long-term condition nursing, therapy services, and child health services including health visiting and school nursing. The organisations included in this programme are:

  • Kent Community Health Foundation Trust (KCHFT)
  • Medway Community Health (MCH)
  • Healthcare Resourcing Group (HCRG)
  • Medway Foundation Trust
  • East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust



Who is leading the work?

NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) has overall responsibility for making sure Kent and Medway’s community health services are operating effectively.

It cannot do this on its own so will work with a range of stakeholders including partners in the integrated care system (ICS) provider organisations, clinical and non-clinical staff, the four health and care partnerships, patients and the public, and Healthwatch.



Why can’t things stay the same as they are now?

We think there is huge potential for the development of Kent and Medway’s community services. Often misunderstood or not acknowledged in the way other NHS services might be, community services are a fundamental cornerstone of patient care.

We know people stay well and recover more quickly if they are at home living within their communities. We need to make changes so people can live independently with the right support and care for as long as possible.

We also recognise that, in parts of our community, there is variation and inequality in terms of access to services and delivery, as well as the potential for duplication, fragmentation and a lack of consistency and efficiency.



What improvements can patients expect to see once any changes have been made?

By improving our community health care, we will be able to:

  • improve access to community health services across Kent and Medway, which support improvement of public health and reduction of health inequalities
  • support integration of services into local neighbourhoods
  • develop a seamless pathway between acute and community services, as much as possible
  • further develop personalised care outside of a hospital setting
  • develop a workforce model that improves flexibility, responsiveness, and sustainability based on nationally recommended skills and competencies for community services
  • improve technology, data sharing and information so quality and efficiency of services are improved. This will also enable people to use home-based technology, such as monitoring equipment and “wearables”, which will mean they only need to go to hospital when they really need to.


You talk about “integrated care” in local communities. What does this mean?

Integrated care describes how professionals who might work for different organisations (or in different teams within an organisation), can work together more effectively and take collective responsibility for planning services, improving health, and reducing inequalities across geographical areas.

It means individuals only need to tell their story once, bureaucracy is reduced, and care packages can be more flexible and patient-centred.



What is the plan and timetable for making any changes?

This will be developed in partnership with providers when we understand what changes people would like to see concerning local community health services. But we will commit to working with stakeholders to continually enhance and develop community health services for the Kent and Medway population.

How will any changes in community health services improve health inequalities across Kent and Medway?

We are embedding our focus on inequalities into all our programmes of work, including community health services improvement. Our aim is for equal access to services across Kent and Medway based on the clinical needs of the population.



Is this a cost-cutting exercise?

No. It is about using the resources we have more effectively and in a way that supports improved patient care and outcomes. It is also standardising community care services so everyone, regardless of where they live, can access the same levels of care and specialist support.



Where is the money coming from and, if the plan is to move as many services as possible into the community, will the funding be shifted too?

Funding will be coming from the overall NHS budget for Kent and Medway. We are only moving services closer to communities where it is clinically appropriate – based on the NHS principle of right service, right place, right time.



Will staff, patients and the public be involved in planning any changes?

People are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to engaging with as many people in our communities as possible. This includes reaching out to those groups who are often less listened to and whose feedback we need to shape our future services.



What do you mean by continuous improvement?

Continuous improvement is a systematic, sustainable approach to enhancing the quality of care and outcomes for patients. It is not a one-off project but relies on a change of culture that encourages staff, patients and other stakeholders to work, test and challenge each other to improve the care patients receive.



Are there enough staff to support any changes that may be implemented?

We know there are staff shortages across the country. We will be working together to develop a workforce model that improves flexibility, responsiveness, and sustainability based on nationally recommended skills and competencies for community services. This, along with, the better use of technology and partnership working within neighbourhoods, will help to address the challenge.



Will having more services in the community mean there will be more capacity to reduce waiting lists in the acute hospitals?

Alongside improving patient experience and outcomes, by providing better services within the community and in people’s homes, the capacity of other parts of our overstretched health system will be improved.



How are community services regulated and how is quality assessed?

Community services are assessed and regulated by Care Quality Commission (CQC) in much the same way as other parts of the NHS. They will be assessed using the following standards:

  • Are they safe?
  • Are they effective?
  • Are they caring?
  • Are they responsive to people's needs?
  • Are they well-led?

NHS Kent and Medway will also be reviewing performance quarterly to make sure improvements are being made.

What are community health services?

Community health services cover an extensive and diverse range of activities so are often difficult to define. Services are delivered in a wide range of settings – including in people’s own homes as well as in community clinics, community centres and schools – so can be less visible than services delivered in hospitals and GP surgeries. We are mainly talking about physical health services.

The key feature of community services is they provide personalised care in local communities, so they are well-connected at a local level. They help people live as independent and fulfilling a life as possible for as long as possible.



What services are you asking about, and do they cover adults and children?

You can find lists of adult community health services and children’s community health services on our website.


Why are you asking now?
We know more and more people in Kent and Medway are living longer, often with multiple long-term conditions. We also know as people grow older, and more people live with complex health conditions or disabilities at all ages, they have better lives when they are living independently at home, with care being provided as close to home as possible.

Currently, for some people, access to different community care services can vary depending on where they live in Kent and Medway. We want to reduce variation of services so that everyone, regardless of where they live, can access the same care and support.

We want to take advantage of technology that offers new ways to deliver healthcare closer to home, and we want to make sure our services are delivered in the right place to support the changing needs of the people of Kent and Medway.



What organisations currently provide community health care in Kent and Medway?

The range of services vary between the four Health and Care Partnerships across Kent and Medway. They commonly include community nursing, specialist long-term condition nursing, therapy services, and child health services including health visiting and school nursing. The organisations included in this programme are:

  • Kent Community Health Foundation Trust (KCHFT)
  • Medway Community Health (MCH)
  • Healthcare Resourcing Group (HCRG)
  • Medway Foundation Trust
  • East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust



Who is leading the work?

NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) has overall responsibility for making sure Kent and Medway’s community health services are operating effectively.

It cannot do this on its own so will work with a range of stakeholders including partners in the integrated care system (ICS) provider organisations, clinical and non-clinical staff, the four health and care partnerships, patients and the public, and Healthwatch.



Why can’t things stay the same as they are now?

We think there is huge potential for the development of Kent and Medway’s community services. Often misunderstood or not acknowledged in the way other NHS services might be, community services are a fundamental cornerstone of patient care.

We know people stay well and recover more quickly if they are at home living within their communities. We need to make changes so people can live independently with the right support and care for as long as possible.

We also recognise that, in parts of our community, there is variation and inequality in terms of access to services and delivery, as well as the potential for duplication, fragmentation and a lack of consistency and efficiency.



What improvements can patients expect to see once any changes have been made?

By improving our community health care, we will be able to:

  • improve access to community health services across Kent and Medway, which support improvement of public health and reduction of health inequalities
  • support integration of services into local neighbourhoods
  • develop a seamless pathway between acute and community services, as much as possible
  • further develop personalised care outside of a hospital setting
  • develop a workforce model that improves flexibility, responsiveness, and sustainability based on nationally recommended skills and competencies for community services
  • improve technology, data sharing and information so quality and efficiency of services are improved. This will also enable people to use home-based technology, such as monitoring equipment and “wearables”, which will mean they only need to go to hospital when they really need to.


You talk about “integrated care” in local communities. What does this mean?

Integrated care describes how professionals who might work for different organisations (or in different teams within an organisation), can work together more effectively and take collective responsibility for planning services, improving health, and reducing inequalities across geographical areas.

It means individuals only need to tell their story once, bureaucracy is reduced, and care packages can be more flexible and patient-centred.



What is the plan and timetable for making any changes?

This will be developed in partnership with providers when we understand what changes people would like to see concerning local community health services. But we will commit to working with stakeholders to continually enhance and develop community health services for the Kent and Medway population.

How will any changes in community health services improve health inequalities across Kent and Medway?

We are embedding our focus on inequalities into all our programmes of work, including community health services improvement. Our aim is for equal access to services across Kent and Medway based on the clinical needs of the population.



Is this a cost-cutting exercise?

No. It is about using the resources we have more effectively and in a way that supports improved patient care and outcomes. It is also standardising community care services so everyone, regardless of where they live, can access the same levels of care and specialist support.



Where is the money coming from and, if the plan is to move as many services as possible into the community, will the funding be shifted too?

Funding will be coming from the overall NHS budget for Kent and Medway. We are only moving services closer to communities where it is clinically appropriate – based on the NHS principle of right service, right place, right time.



Will staff, patients and the public be involved in planning any changes?

People are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to engaging with as many people in our communities as possible. This includes reaching out to those groups who are often less listened to and whose feedback we need to shape our future services.



What do you mean by continuous improvement?

Continuous improvement is a systematic, sustainable approach to enhancing the quality of care and outcomes for patients. It is not a one-off project but relies on a change of culture that encourages staff, patients and other stakeholders to work, test and challenge each other to improve the care patients receive.



Are there enough staff to support any changes that may be implemented?

We know there are staff shortages across the country. We will be working together to develop a workforce model that improves flexibility, responsiveness, and sustainability based on nationally recommended skills and competencies for community services. This, along with, the better use of technology and partnership working within neighbourhoods, will help to address the challenge.



Will having more services in the community mean there will be more capacity to reduce waiting lists in the acute hospitals?

Alongside improving patient experience and outcomes, by providing better services within the community and in people’s homes, the capacity of other parts of our overstretched health system will be improved.



How are community services regulated and how is quality assessed?

Community services are assessed and regulated by Care Quality Commission (CQC) in much the same way as other parts of the NHS. They will be assessed using the following standards:

  • Are they safe?
  • Are they effective?
  • Are they caring?
  • Are they responsive to people's needs?
  • Are they well-led?

NHS Kent and Medway will also be reviewing performance quarterly to make sure improvements are being made.