08/09/2026
What if your GP could bring an entire team around you with one conversation? 💙
That's the vision behind neighbourhood health.
Dr Vijay Koshal Medical Director for West Kent Health and Care Partnership, said working in an integrated neighbourhood team means he is no longer trying to solve complex problems alone.
When one patient became increasingly breathless and anxious and was regularly attending A&E, Dr Koshal was able to quickly bring together community respiratory colleagues, community nursing teams and a care coordinator to agree a plan.
"We talk, agree a plan and act together," he said. "It means decisions are safer, faster and based on a fuller picture of what is happening in someone's life."
For patients, it's not about seeing more professionals. It's about professionals working together behind the scenes, sharing information, coordinating support and helping people get the right care at the right time.
"This is the biggest shift I have seen in my 20-year career as a GP in Kent," Dr Koshal said.
Read how neighbourhood health is helping teams work as one around local people in our Q&A with Dr Koshal: https://www.kentcht.nhs.uk/community-health-online/neighbourhood-health-right-at-the-heart-of-it-your-local-gp/
