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Webinar from Rethink Mental Illness: The shift from hospital to community

13 January 2026

Sign up to this webinar: Delivering neighbourhood health and the shift from hospital to community – lessons from the mental health sector

12pm – 1.45pm, Thursday 22nd January

Sign up here

About:

Over the last few decades, mental health care has been moving away from large institutions and into the community. Today, with initiatives such as the Community Mental Health Framework and 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centre pilots, the sector is still leading the shift from hospital-based care to community support.

As neighbourhood health rapidly rises up the agenda for systems, join Rethink Mental Illness as we provide useful lessons and practical tips from this experience. This webinar is designed for anyone who is interested in the development or delivery of neighbourhood health services – whether your focus is mental health or not.

Speakers include:

  • Dr. Claire Fuller (National Priority Programme Director for Neighbourhood Health at NHS England) – on the national picture and her personal reflections on what the mental health sector has taught her about delivering neighbourhood health.
  • NHS, Rethink Mental Illness and Lived Experience Representatives from the current 24/7 neighbourhood health centre pilots in London and Sheffield – on their actions, progress, challenges and successes thus far.
  • Kamal Ali-Merkhbi (Rethink Mental Illness) and lived experience representation from Somerset Open Mental Health – offering practical insights into Somerset’s award-winning model of community care and the secrets of its success.

Our speakers will explore the necessary steps for delivering a successful neighbourhood health service in practice, how to overcome challenges along the way, and the longer-term benefits of embracing these new ways of working for systems and patients alike.

There will also be an opportunity to pose questions to most of the above speakers in a dedicated Q&A session, led by event chair Brian Dow (Deputy Chief Executive of Rethink Mental Illness, and Chief Executive of Mental Health UK).

This webinar is for:

  • Anyone working nationally, regionally, or locally, who is interested in or involved in the development or delivery of neighbourhood health services – whether your focus is mental health or not.
  • It will be particularly relevant for commissioners, national, regional, system and place-based leaders, providers across the NHS, local authority and VCSE sectors.

For any questions or further information:

Please get in touch with us at cmhfsupport@rethink.org.