Housing secretary Steve Reed has urged councils to work with ICBs on creating neighbourhood health centres.

In a letter to leaders, Reed said this was ‘an exciting opportunity to align health and wellbeing, and regeneration objectives, leading to healthier and more prosperous communities'.

Reed said: ‘We strongly encourage you to engage proactively with your ICB to ensure proposals take account of, and where possible align with, your local priorities on regeneration (including high streets), public health and economic development.'

NHS regions have been given to 28 May to set out their criteria for the next wave of neighbourhood health centres following the publication of NHS England guidance.

The Government has committed to opening 250 neighbourhood health centres, including upgrades and new builds, by 2035.

Reed said: ‘To develop proposals for establishing neighbourhood health centres, we expect ICBs to be conducting rapid engagement with key partners, including local authorities

The secretary of state urged local authorities to consider:

• mapping vacant or/underused properties that could be suitable for delivering neighbourhood health services and align with your regeneration plans
• whether NHS tenants could be supported with favourable terms where affordable for local authority-owned property
• highlighting local authority facilities where co-location with NHS services may be possible
• proactively engaging ICBs to improve utilisation of NHS estates in town centres,considering opportunities for co-locating services
• assisting ICBs with convening key local stakeholders and support community engagement
• considering ways to remove planning barriers to neighbourhood health and include in emerging Local Plans.

Lee Peart is editor of Hemming Group’s Healthcare Management magazine.