Overview

• The NHS has deployed community health workers across 25 areas in England, expanding on earlier pilots in Westminster and Cornwall that showed promising results.
• The initiative seeks to reduce hospital admissions by 10% and A&E visits by 7-10%, focusing on proactive care and early intervention in deprived communities.
• Community health workers, who are not clinically trained, visit 120-150 households monthly to address health concerns, housing, financial issues, and social isolation.
• Evidence from pilots suggests improved access to preventive care, with increases in cancer screenings, vaccinations, and NHS health checks among residents.
• While early results are encouraging, concerns remain about the programme's scalability and its ability to address broader systemic NHS challenges.