Archus, a UK healthcare infrastructure consultancy, has launched its first-ever Neighbourhood Care Framework.
The new framework is a six-step, data-driven approach to address unique challenges that individual NHS organisations and systems are experiencing.
The framework that can be embedded into estate strategy is focused on helping Trusts and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to move from hospitals to communities, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.
These three shifts are the three key priorities of the NHS's 10-year health plan and, as such, are a focus of all NHS organisations for the coming years.
“Neighbourhood care is not a side project, it’s the future of the NHS,” said Stephen Lenehan, Associate Director at Archus. “This is the first time we’ve brought together our strategic insight, digital innovation, and operational expertise into a single, nationally aligned framework to help systems turn ambition into action.”
Archus is an expert in implementation, most recently being involved with the Airedale General Hospital build. Archus will be providing healthcare expertise for the build that is part of wave 1 of the New Hospital Programme.
Implementation timelines
The implementation timeline can vary significantly depending on the vision, readiness, and strategic priorities of individual NHS Trusts and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs).
Archus told Building Better Healthcare that it estimates full implementation would typically take between 12 to 24 months. "However, the framework has been purposefully designed to be flexible and adaptive at any stage of transformation," the company stated.
The spokesperson also broke down how this timeline would work:
- 3–6 months for initial data collection and strategic alignment, including HES data modelling, estate surveys, and stakeholder engagement.
- 12–14 months for phased implementation, which includes service reconfiguration, workforce transition, and change management planning.
The spokesperson explained that what makes the framework unique is its modularity, meaning it can support systems at any point in their journey, whether they’re just beginning to explore community-based care or are ready to operationalise large-scale shifts.
"It’s not a one-size-fits-all model, but a co-designed roadmap that aligns national ambition with local context," they said.
How it works?
The framework is structured around seven core steps that guide systems from strategic
alignment through to implementation:
- Six-step delivery model: From strategic alignment to implementation, the framework guides Trusts and ICBs through a structured process that’s grounded in real data and shaped by local context.
- Workforce and culture: Transformation starts with belief. The framework embeds workforce planning, staff engagement, and cultural change as core enablers.
- Capital prioritisation: Using HES data and estate modelling, we help systems identify high-impact shifts into community settings and align investment with clinical need.
- Integrated care: With over 85 million outpatient follow-ups annually, outpatient care is a key area where improvements can yield the biggest results. Our intelligent data insights inform a rethink of your health ecosystem to prioritise how and where this care is delivered.
- Digital enablement: From virtual wards to AI-assisted triage, the framework supports digital adoption that improves access, efficiency, and patient experience.
Each step is adaptable to local needs while maintaining consistency with national policy.
At the heart of the framework is Archus’ use of Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data modelling.
This enables modelling of each Trust or system to tailor the framework to its specific context, simulating strategies, testing assumptions, and analysing outcomes before making decisions. This approach gives NHS leaders the confidence to move forward with transformation that is both ambitious and achievable.
Geoff Bick, Associate Director at Archus. “[HES] enables organisations to model new care pathways, simulate service shifts, and evaluate the impact of virtual care, diagnostics, and community-based delivery—before implementation. By being able to simulate, stress-test, and refine their plans, NHS leaders can move forward with confidence that their decisions will deliver the health outcomes they’re aiming for.”
Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH)
Archus has already had measurable success at Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH), where Archus helped embed neighbourhood care principles into the estate strategy.
Outcomes included 78 acute beds saved through Hospital at Home and virtual ward models, a 10% year-on-year improvement in Emergency Department performance, and a 9% reduction in staff turnover.
Archus told Building Better Healthcare that these statistics are from October 2024 onwards.
“This isn’t just theory, it’s real change in motion,” said Shane Dineen, Commercial Executive at Archus. “We’re helping NHS partners reimagine care from the ground up, with infrastructure that supports prevention, digital innovation, and community-first services.”