NHS Property Services has launched a new handbook designed to support NHS leaders to plan, deliver, and sustain Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs).
With NHCs forming a key part of the NHS’ long term plan, Your guide to developing a Neighbourhood Health Centre provides clear, step by step estates support for NHS organisations navigating what can be a complex and evolving development process.
Aimed at NHS estates teams, Integrated Care Systems, commissioners, and local health leaders, the guide sets out a structured, evidence based approach to developing NHCs, whether a team needs end to end support or specialist help at specific points along the journey.
The handbook is built around four core stages of NHC development:
- Assess – identifying the most suitable locations using population need, estate performance, planning, and financial data.
- Plan – shaping compliant, affordable, and fundable proposals that can secure local and national approval.
- Deliver – managing refurbishment, reconfiguration, or construction to ensure safe, high quality outcomes.
- Learn and maintain – supporting long term performance through compliance, facilities management, and continuous improvement.
The launch builds on NHS Property Services’ recent work to support the national NHC programme, including the publication of Making neighbourhood health centres a reality in December 2025, and its appointment in March 2026 to help deliver 11 Neighbourhood Health Centres as part of the Government’s £50m Health Estates Transformation Programme.
It also follows CEO Martin Steele’s appearance before the Health and Social Care Select Committee to discuss the role of the NHS estate in delivering the Government’s vision of a ‘Neighbourhood Health Service’.
With a strong emphasis on data driven decision making, adaptability and cost effective use of the existing NHS estate, the new handbook responds directly to the pressures facing health systems as demand rises and service models continue to evolve.
Simon Taylor, director of estates policy, strategy & capital projects for NHS Property Services, said: “Neighbourhood health will redesign and join up existing health and care services, but the challenges behind them will feel very familiar to NHS teams. This guide is designed to cut through complexity, providing clear, practical estates support grounded in real world delivery experience, so systems can make confident decisions and create facilities that work from day one and continue to deliver value for years to come.”
