Why Integrated Neighbourhood Teams open doors for market access

Integrated Neighbourhood Teams are a hot topic as they start to roll out across the country after being proposed in the Fuller Stocktake in 2022.

The problem is there is little clarity from anybody as to whether the Primary Care Networks will remain as a layer within Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs) or will be replaced by them – or in fact what an INT will actually look like in either scenario.

Seamless care equals better patient outcomes

So it was with great interest that I read the National Association of Primary Care (NAPC) paper,  Creating Integrated Neighbourhood Teams: Learning from Experience, which consolidates their insight and expertise in establishing INTs and managing the complexities of what would be a huge transformative change.

The document gives evidence from the UK and abroad and has some very useful insights for pharma, med tech and device companies looking for a way into the NHS.

In a nutshell, INTs represent a collaborative approach to healthcare delivery, bringing together healthcare and social care providers in a bid to deliver co-ordinated, patient-centred services within local communities.

Their primary objective is to enhance the patient outcome by being able to deliver seamless and integrated care across different providers. This ensures patients receive comprehensive, holistic care, tailored around their own specific needs.

Partnership working will be critical

For that to happen, the paper makes clear, effective collaboration is absolutely essential. The success of an INT hinges on the partnerships among healthcare, social care and community service organisations.

Really clear communication channels are crucial, along with shared goals to facilitate a cohesive team working approach. To deliver that, a change management programme will be required because there would be a transition from where we are now into integrated care models. A really robust change management strategy would ensure we don’t slip back into: “That’s the way we’ve always done it.”

Engagement programme will ensure NHS buy-in

The paper emphasises the importance of engaging stakeholders at all levels, and addressing any resistance early, as well as ensuring we foster a culture that embraces innovation and continuous improvement.

I’ve written about this many times – you must avoid top-down command and control, a sub-committee of the great and the good telling everybody where they’re going wrong.

With a project like this, you would have to have an open engagement programme where people could self-select whether or not they were prepared to be involved. If they do that and do it well, change will happen. If they don’t, it’s doomed to failure before it even starts.

One of the international perspectives in the paper incorporates evidence from several countries highlighting diverse approaches to integration with some really valuable lessons and insights that we could adapt to the unique UK healthcare landscape. To do this well, really effective collaboration will be required, along with high levels of change management, strategy and execution. A lot can be learnt from the report’s international examples.

Industry-provided data is highly valued by NHS decision-makers

In terms of opportunities for pharma, med tech and device companies, there are significant opportunities down this road. It should be easy for industry to engage in partnerships with INTs to develop and trial new equipment, drug treatments, pathways and ways of working.

If we then focus on delivering a high quality, standardised approach without any unwarranted variation, that would ensure those pathways are completely followed, because we could tie the provider payment to delivery of that pathway.

I also think there’s opportunity in the patient space, particularly around patient engagement, where pharma, med tech and device companies would be able to gain a much deeper insight and understanding into patient needs and desirable outcomes. That would in turn facilitate the development of patient-centric solutions.

Industry could also develop new programmes to measure and evaluate patient engagement and the patient adherence, or, as we would call it, concordance and compliance with whatever we’re trying to do with them.

Often pharma, med tech and device companies have better data and can more quickly facilitate the development of great tools.

NHS customers reveal critical sales insights around the value of industry data

Interestingly, in the 10 customer interviews for my online learning programme for 2025, I asked very specifically about whether customers place a value on the audit tools, budget impact models and data that pharma, med tech and device companies provide them. All 10 said yes, massively. That support is hugely welcomed so whatever you do, don’t stop!

This was a really interesting insight, particularly for those who underestimate the value of their data offering. Overwhelmingly, NHS customers believe the data, audit tools and budget impact models provided by industry are better than the ones they can create themselves.

You can read my blog about embedding your products into NHS pathways here.

Med tech’s digital solutions will be highly sought after

My last point is around data-driven decision making, where pharma, med tech and device companies could work to gather real-world data generated by the INTs, that could then inform the development of any targeted pathways or perhaps the development of targeted therapies or personalised medicine.

There’s a real trend they could align with much more precise healthcare. Looking specifically at med tech, INTs would give them a real platform for implementing digital technologies such as telemedicine, remote monitoring devices, wearable technology and integrating electronic health records.

They could also develop and tailor new products that meet specific population needs. Patient input might help them make the devices more user-friendly and address some real-world challenges. That would lead to early adoption and the embedding of new, effective products into the pathways.

Collaborate to innovate would be my motto

You might get co-development of new medical devices that are integrated into pathways and focused on improving patient outcomes, which then delivers the operational efficiency of fewer appointments, fewer referrals and, the big one, fewer non-elective admissions to hospital.

There are also great opportunities for industry to deliver comprehensive training and education to support healthcare professionals and ensure optimal treatments, equipment and devices are being utilised to improve patient outcomes and deliver overall efficiencies.

The paper on the INTs pushes us toward the need for a transformative approach to integrated care models if we’re going to enhance patient outcomes and drive operational efficiencies.

For pharma, med tech and device companies, that provides a wealth of opportunities to collaborate, innovate and align your products and services with the needs of the integrated care systems and the teams that work within them.

As INTs evolve, industry needs to engage proactively and get itself into a pivotal role in shaping what the future looks like in terms of healthcare delivery.

Scott McKenzie helps pharmaceutical, medical technology, and device firms get their products and services in front of the right NHS decision-makers. He helped to land no fewer than 53 new projects with the NHS in 2023 alone and has now developed a 12-month mentorship programme that helps individuals and teams get straight to the heart of the challenges of selling to the NHS. NEW FOR 2025 – 5 new modules and 10 value-packed customer insight interviews. If you want to get your products fully embedded into treatment pathways, Scott can help with proven tools, resources and strategies plus 1-2-1 coaching and decision-maker introductions to finally get your project over the line.