Rollout of new neighbourhood health services has begun in 43 places across the country.

Each area will be allocated a programme lead who will work with existing local services to set up a new neighbourhood health service.

The leads will use general practice as a cornerstone and will draw together a range of professions to develop a neighbourhood health team consisting of community nurses, hospital doctors, social care workers, pharmacists, dentists, optometrists, paramedics, social prescribers, local government organisations and the voluntary sector.

It is hoped neighbourhood health will benefit patients by providing end-to-end care and tailored support, looking beyond the condition at wider causes of health issues and helping to avoid unnecessary trips to hospital.

Neighbourhood health teams will initially focus on supporting people with long-term conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, angina, high blood pressure, MS or epilepsy - in areas with the highest deprivation. It will then expand to other patients.

The first phase of the programme is backed by £10 million.

Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting said: "We are building an NHS fit for the future, one that fits around people’s lives and is an integral part of their community.

"Neighbourhood health services fundamentally reimagine how the NHS works - bringing care closer to home while helping to tackle this nation’s shameful health inequalities.

"Through our Plan for Change, we will stop people from being bounced around a broken system as we get the health service back on its feet."

Ruth Rankine, primary care director and neighbourhood lead at the NHS Confederation, said: "This welcome announcement marks the start of a major and very important shift in how care is delivered, and we are delighted to see so many of our members as part of the first wave.

"This programme provides a vital opportunity to build on the strengths of local partnerships, community assets and frontline innovation, and we look forward to supporting systems and neighbourhoods in sharing learning, scaling best practice, and ensuring that improvements are inclusive, sustainable and driven by the voices of local people."