Integrated care expert visited community health services in Ealing and Hounslow

West London NHS Trust had the privilege of welcoming Dr Niamh Lennox-Chhugani, Chief Executive of the International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC), to witness integrated care in action.

Dr Lennox-Chhugani visited Clayponds Hospital in Ealing and Heart of Hounslow Centre for Health on Thursday, 22 August.

The purpose of her visit was to observe how integrated care is making an impact by delivering joined-up, patient-centred care in local communities.

Dr Christopher Hilton, Chief Operating Officer for Local and Specialist Services, led the visit. He said: “We were pleased to welcome Niamh and share with her the work we’re doing in our integrated care services in Ealing and in Hounslow.

“Our strategy highlights our aspirations to lead and collaborate to ensure the best outcomes and experiences for patients, and reducing the fragmentation of care is key to this – so it was a pleasure to shine a light on areas where we’re trying to simplify care pathways and provide outstanding care closer to people’s homes.”

During her visit, Dr Lennox-Chhugani learned more about Ealing Community Partners (ECP) , which has been running for more than five years, and is a collaboration led by the Trust with Ealing Council, CNWL, and other local organisations.

ECP has brought together all of its referral pathways into a single Referral Hub to deliver community and inpatient inter-disciplinary rehabilitation services.

Her visit comes shortly after the Trust welcomed the transfer of all adult and children’s community services in Hounslow, further bolstering our integrated care services.

At Heart of Hounslow, staff members shared the benefits of co-location with specialist community nursing and rehabilitation teams.

The Director of Primary Care Networks was joined by General Practitioner Dr Nicola Burbidge in sharing the partnership working between the community trust and Primary Care Networks and how this can better support staff and simplify referral pathways.

Reflecting on her visit, Dr Lennox-Chhugani said, “One of the most rewarding aspects of my role is the opportunity I have to visit places where integrated care is making a difference to the experience of joined-up and person-centred care for people and communities.

“IFIC has been sharing the experience of North West London’s integrated care journey for over a decade, and it is so encouraging to see how it is having a real impact in West London. And what great integrated teams.”

Throughout the day, presentations and site tours showcased key services, including the Urgent Community Response and Virtual Ward Programme for Ealing and Hounslow, North West London ICS, and the London Region, as well as the unique Care Home Service GP Practice.

Dr Lennox-Chhugani also shared her international experiences with the senior team in informal discussions.

Among her experience, Dr Lennox-Chhugani has over 30 years in the NHS, and she has led evidence-based healthcare transformation both in the UK and internationally.

Her expertise extends to health system policy reform, with significant contributions to projects with the World Bank and WHO in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

She holds a PhD from Imperial College London in organisational change in healthcare and is a respected voice in the field, serving on the editorial board of the International Journal for Integrated Care and advising on numerous integrated care research programmes.

Dr Lennox-Chhugani’s visit to the Trust is part of her ongoing mission to see integrated care in practice around the world.

Over the past year, she has visited sites in Ireland, Spain, and the UK, gaining insights and sharing her knowledge to help bridge gaps in healthcare delivery.