What barriers do patients face when trying to access primary care? How can patients, voluntary and community groups, and health partners work together to support residents to more effectively manage their own health? These are the questions that the Neighbourhood Forum pilot project in the North West of Tower Hamlets is trying to address.

What are the Neighbourhood Forums? The Neighbourhood Forum pilot is a project aimed at supporting patient voice to be at the heart of local decision making in primary care health systems. We began by delivering a co-design phase during which local residents and VCS organisations worked together to set priorities for how they wanted to see the forums operate and what they wanted the forums to achieve. Since then, we have held one Neighbourhood Forum in Primary Care Network 1 and one in Primary Care Network 2. We are now in the process of putting together action plans based upon the priorities identified by residents, health partners and the local VCS.