VANGUARD AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT – City & Hackney awarded Regional Vanguard status
City & Hackney awarded Regional Vanguard status
Leading the way in group-based care for type 2 diabetes and frailty
| City & Hackney has been successful in being selected as a Regional Vanguard as part of NHS England’s Primary and Community Care Group Clinics Programme, with City & Hackney Integrated Primary Care (IPC) CIC as the lead organisation. |
A significant opportunity for City & Hackney
This is an exciting opportunity to build on the work already happening across City & Hackney and explore how more people can receive proactive, personalised care closer to home, alongside others living with similar health needs. We will initially focus on type 2 diabetes and frailty, building on existing local work and using Group Clinics to strengthen neighbourhood-based care.
The Vanguard brings together colleagues from primary care, community services, neighbourhood teams and the voluntary and community sector, working with residents to develop the model.
Our two Vanguard pathways
Type 2 diabetes
Group Clinics will bring together clinical review, education, medicines optimisation, personalised support, and peer learning. The approach builds on encouraging local delivery, including improvement work in Lower Clapton where the proportion of patients achieving HbA1c below 58 mmol/mol rose to 62% in 2025/26.
Frailty
Neighbourhood-based Group Clinics will support earlier, proactive care for residents experiencing frailty, including falls prevention, medicines optimisation, self-management and access to personalised care. This is particularly important locally, where frailty is seen from age 50 onwards at higher levels than the national benchmark of 65+.
What the Vanguard programme will enable
- Integrated, multidisciplinary Group Clinics delivered through neighbourhood teams.
- Training, practical support and evaluation to help teams develop, test and expand Group Clinics across City & Hackney.
- Closer partnership with voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations to improve reach, trust and equity of access.
- Shared learning across North East London and a plan to extend Group Clinics to at least two further pathways within 12 months.
| The next chapter During 2026/27, the programme will support City & Hackney to move towards making Group Clinics a sustainable part of neighbourhood care – putting residents at the centre, supporting teams to work differently together and helping more people receive proactive care closer to home. |
We look forward to working with residents, neighbourhood teams, and partners to make this ambition a reality.
Dr Mary Clarke CBE – Chief Nurse
“Being selected as a Regional Vanguard is a real opportunity to build on the commitment of our neighbourhood teams and partners to improving care for local people. By bringing residents together through Group Clinics, we can create more opportunities for people to learn from each other, build confidence in managing their health, and receive coordinated support closer to home. I’m proud that City & Hackney has the opportunity to develop this approach and demonstrate what it can achieve for our residents.”
Laura Marmion – Head of Integrated Neighbourhood Teams
“What excites me most about this programme is the opportunity to strengthen the relationships that already exist across our neighbourhoods. Group Clinics bring together residents, primary care, community services and community partners around local need. This Vanguard programme gives us the chance to build on that strong foundation, strengthen how we work together and learn what works so that the approach can be sustained and spread across City & Hackney.”