3. Use technology and data as an enabler

Neighbourhood working is often held back by fragmented systems, poor communication and disconnected ways of working across organisations. This results in disjointed communication and systems that do not reflect how neighbourhood teams work.

Technology should enable INTs to work as one team around the resident across organisational and sector boundaries. This means timely, contextual communication and the ability to coordinate actions asynchronously and in real time across primary care, community, mental health, social care and VCSE partners. Coordination should not rely on meetings, email chains or informal workarounds. It should be embedded into day-to-day workflows, helping teams to act earlier through proactive identification of need, reduce duplication, tighten accountability through clear ownership of actions and improve continuity of care across organisational boundaries.

Places that are moving fastest are adopting pragmatic approaches to data and communication sharing – aligned to a clear priority such as improving access, reducing fragmentation and enabling teams to act earlier and more effectively. When communication is structured around the patient and accessible to the neighbourhood team, coordination becomes the default.

Some places have successfully adopted integrated communication tools that enable practitioners across organisations to coordinate care seamlessly. By prioritising simple, interoperable technology to share updates, allocate tasks and escalate concerns, teams reduced duplication and improved continuity.

This pragmatic use of data and communication platforms has enabled earlier interventions and a more connected experience for residents.
Success in underpinned by clear governance structures that align data and digital priorities and a clear link between digital tools and population health approaches, allowing teams to focus on prevention and proactive  care. Where challenges do exist, the barrier is not the lack of will or skill, but the tools, systems and processes.

Build the infrastructure and tools that enable teams to communicate and collaborate, including:

• interoperable digital tools that support shared care planning, messaging and real‑time information flow
• clear governance to align data and digital priorities and reduce fragmentation
• consistent pathways for multidisciplinary communication, linking primary care, community teams, acute specialists, local government and VCSE partners.

Treat industry as a strategic partner in governance, technology and implementation, including:

• early involvement of technology partners in governance conversations, ensuring alignment between local priorities, data needs and digital solutions
• using industry expertise to support scaling, workflow design, and change management, not just software deployment
• adopting a mindset that sees external partners as part of the wider neighbourhood ecosystem, supporting continuous improvement and innovation.