How hospitals can left-shift to support neighbourhood care – Implications for pharmacy

At PM Healthcare’s ICB/ICS Development & Medicines Strategy Forum today, Roger Fernandes (Chief Pharmacist/Clinical Director, King’s College Hospital NHS FT) set out a compelling and practical vision for how hospitals can left shift care: supporting the shift of care from hospitals into community and neighbourhood settings, often led by integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs).

Examples demonstrated how this can be delivered in practice: community hubs for specialist care, expanded homecare and virtual wards, and integrated workforce models that bridge primary and secondary care. These approaches improve access, reduce hospital burden and support better long-term condition management.

The session highlighted the scale and impact of medicines across the NHS and the opportunity to use this as a foundation for more integrated, patient-centred care. With increasing demand, complexity and inequality, shifting care closer to home is both a clinical and system priority.

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