As we start 2026 CHP’s CEO Wendy Farrington-Chadd considers key areas of focus for the year ahead.
The acceleration of neighbourhood health service delivery and supporting the shift of care into communities will define CHP’s work in supporting the NHS estate over the next 12 months. Delivering this ambition against a backdrop of reform and constrained resources will be challenging. It will require partnership, alignment and focus to continue the momentum from last year and build on the strong foundations of the existing high-quality estate.
Making the best use of the existing estate
The 10 Year Health Plan set out a vision, enabled by Neighbourhood Health Centres in every community and implemented by making best use of existing estate first and foremost. The NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme announced last November reinforced this and requires partnership, strategic asset utilisation, and informed decisions that prioritises value, speed of delivery and best outcomes.
The LIFT estate presents a significant opportunity to realise Neighbourhood Health Services across England. LIFT buildings are purpose-built, community-based, multi-tenanted health facilities, offering capacity that can be optimised without the lengthy timelines associated with new construction. The first five projects in the Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme are CHP projects, refurbishing and utilising existing LIFT buildings at Stockland Green Primary Care Centre and Summerfield Primary Care Centre in Birmingham, Alfred Barrow Health Centre, Cumbria, Truro Health Park, Cornwall and Jubilee Gardens Health Centre, Ealing.
Read: CHP’s repurposing of LIFT buildings at the forefront of new NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild programme (25 November 2025)
Forward-thinking integrated care systems are already reviewing their use of LIFT buildings from a neighbourhood health perspective, exploring opportunities to shift care from hospitals and enhance community service integration. Our asset utilisation modelling, presented in PACE (Productivity Acceleration in the Community Estate) plans shows the space optimisation opportunities by LIFT building. The tool enables our strategic estates productivity team to model the impact of operating at 40% capacity during core hours, to 60 or 80% and the potential impact on additional patient appointments and cost by patient episode. To date PACE plans have been developed for over 75% of the portfolio. These support local engagement to enable neighbourhood health services and introduce additional services such as diagnostics, mental health provision, or social prescribing functions. Working in partnership we identify opportunities to reuse and repurpose space, there are over 50 ideas being developed through our strategic pipeline process and will be considered for capital investment for 2026/27 and beyond.
Read: Driving Neighbourhood Health through the Productivity Acceleration in Community Estates Programme (1 December 2025)
Partnership and alignment are key
Through NHS LIFT public private partnerships, CHP recognises that successful partnership requires the NHS to bring their clinical expertise and community insight to inform decision making. While CHP and its partners contribute high quality assets, strategic estate planning expertise, capital access, and project delivery. This symbiotic partnership can unlock infrastructure solutions that neither can achieve alone. The key is having a structured approach and trusted relationships that provides clarity, aligned incentives, and shared accountability for outcomes.
Our PACE programme provides structure to our collaborative work with Integrated Care Systems (ICSs). By working closely with ICBs, Trusts and community providers within a system, we identify local priorities that will improve patient outcomes and align these with local ICS infrastructure strategies and estate solutions utilising the LIFT portfolio. This forms the basis of our PACE plans. Delivery is underpinned by agreed mandates and access to capital funds where needed, to support a range of solutions from major projects that adapt and repurpose space, to smaller enhancements ensuring flexibility and speed in meeting evolving healthcare needs. In 2025/26 we invested £17 million of capital, funding 33 projects to adapt and repurpose space in LIFT buildings to support more care in the community.
In addition, we will progress the Securing the Future Programme and the development of the Outline Business Case this year. Partnership at a strategic level will be critical to setting out a coordinated and structured approach to lease expiry. While our focus locally remains on optimising utilisation of core assets.
Demonstrating impact
In an environment of competing demands, resource constraints and public scrutiny, every infrastructure investment must articulate its impact, particularly on NHS productivity. Metrics range from activity-based measures such as the number of patients treated or number of additional appointments, tests and scans to preventative impact measures such as reduction in A&E attendance and admission avoidance. However, for organisations who are not directly involved in the delivery of care measurement is a challenge and therefore relies heavily on partnership.
Where we have successfully demonstrated impact has been where measurement has been hardwired from the start. Finchley Memorial Hospital Community Diagnostics Centre (CDC) consistently tracks tests and scans delivered. Since it opened in 2021 the CDC has delivered over 500,000 additional diagnostic tests and scans.
Read: Nearly half a million diagnostic tests delivered at Finchley Memorial Hospital Community Diagnostic Centre (January 2025)
A specific evaluation study of the East Birmingham Locality Hub at Washwood Heath Health and Wellbeing Centre, a blueprint for neighbourhood health services, showed that that from December 2023 to December 2024, there was an additional 41,500 appointments delivered in the community, a 5% reduction in emergency department attendances and 22% reduction in inpatient spells.
Case study: Washwood Heath Health and Wellbeing Centre: Innovative utilisation supporting productivity
These are notable examples demonstrating the positive impact of infrastructure investment in these sites. Each have received significant capital funding to support the adaptation and repurposing of space to house additional services.
In conclusion
2026 will be pivotal year for the implementation of neighbourhood health services. Success requires transformative collaboration, intelligent asset utilisation, and an unwavering focus on impact and outcomes.
Expectations are high, but I believe there is a real opportunity to deliver through partnership working and alignment through shared ambitions. Working together we can drive the delivery of neighbourhood health services through the existing NHS estate and make a difference to NHS staff, patients and local communities at pace. A busy yet exciting year ahead.
Transforming Neighbourhood Health - July 2025 (PDF)
Download 'Transforming Neighbourhood' Health to read more. To find out more about opportunities across the LIFT estate to support the delivery of neighbourhood health services and to access CHP capital, get in touch with your regional team.
Read more Insights from CHP
Read more about our insights on core asset optimisation, place-based care and how CHP supports sustainable NHS infrastructure to enable care for patients closer to home in their local neighbourhoods.
