Community hospitals
There will be a Westminster hall debate on community hospitals on Tuesday 16 June 2026. This debate will be led by Dr Roz Savage MP.
There will be a Westminster Hall debate on community hospitals on Tuesday 16 June 2026. This debate will be led by Dr Roz Savage MP.
What are community hospitals?Community hospitals are small local hospitals or units providing a range of clinical services to their local population. These services may include community beds, clinics, minor injuries services, diagnostic facilities, day care, mental health services and maternity care.
The Community Hospitals Association, a voluntary organisation, states:
Community Hospitals have been part of our health care system for over 150 years and offer a strong tradition of care that local populations have known over generations. There are over 500 community hospitals throughout the UK.
Community hospitals vary considerably, as they have adapted to the needs of their local populations, but they tend to play a particular role in intermediate care and are “a focus for integration for many staff and services in both health and social care”(The Community Hospitals Association What are Community Hospitals?).
Intermediate care beds in community hospitals act as step-down care, helping patients who are medically fit to leave acute hospital care regain independence before they are discharged home.
Local integrated care boards receive funding from NHS England for local health services and are responsible for allocating funds according to local priorities, including for community hospitals.
As in the care sector more widely, community hospitals have faced issues with staff shortages and retention, and many community hospitals have closed. Research from the Health Foundation in 2024 highlighted some of the challenges surrounding intermediate care and provision by community hospitals.
The government has said it recognises the “vital role that community hospitals play in delivering care closer to home”.
A brief history of community hospitals is available on the Community Hospital Association’s website.
Policy contextThe past 30 years have seen a reduction in hospital bed numbers and a shift away from intermediate care in hospital to care in the community.
Integrated care systems - partnerships of providers and commissioners of health and care services across a geographical area - are expected to work collectively to plan services. In some areas, partnership plans will include changes to the roles of hospitals, including community hospitals.
More recently, the policy shift has seen further services, such as diagnostic testing and health checks, moving from hospitals to sites closer to community areas.
The previous Conservative government introduced the Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) programme aimed at providing quicker access to tests and diagnosis in local areas, away from hospital sites, and using capacity in the independent sector. As of January 2026, there were 170 CDCs operational across England.
The Labour government made a commitment to introduce a neighbourhood health centre (NHC) in every community describing the centres as:
… one stop shops [which] will bring the right local combination from GPs, nurses, dentists and pharmacists together under one roof to best meet the needs of the community.
It is proposed that the first 120 NHCs will be operational by 2030, “delivered through public private partnerships and 50 refurbishments through public capital” of existing sites.
Further information on neighbourhood health centres can be found in the Library briefing on the 10-year plan for England (October 2025).
Further readingBMJ, Community hospitals: still a viable option? 26 July 2017
Nuffield Trust, Growing numbers of delayed discharges from community hospitals, 10 August 2023
The Kings Fund, Community Health Services Explained July 2024
NHS England, Community diagnostic centres - Guidance for planning, design and implementation, updated July 2025
Department of Health and Social Care press release Millions of people to benefit from healthcare on their doorstep, 9 September 2025
Roz Savage MP, Roz Savage MP Launches Petition to Protect the Future of Cirencester Hospital, 2 December 2025
BBC News, Somerset community hospital bed numbers to be cut in April, 18 December 2025
Parliamentary questionsNHS (UIN 117219, 13 March 2026)
Asked: how many notable changes has the Department been notified of, and how many of those changes relate to community hospitals.
Answered: The Department has been notified of nine notable changes, one of which was about a community hospital’s provision of beds.
Community Hospitals and Neighbourhood Health Centres (UIN 109566, 5 February 2026)
Asked: When funding allocations and capital investment in neighbourhood health centres and community hospitals will be published.
Answered (reproduced in full): At the Autumn Budget, we announced our commitment to deliver 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) through the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme. This will deliver NHCs through a mixture of upgrades to expand and improve sites over the next three years, and new build sites opening in the medium term.
The first 120 NHCs are due to be operational by 2030 and will be delivered through a mixture of public private partnerships and public capital. 50 of these will be delivered through upgrades and 70 will be new builds.
The 2025 Spending Review settlement provides £426 million over four years for improvements in the primary care estate. Up to half of this funding will support upgrades to existing buildings to deliver NHCs this Parliament. Further information on NHCs and funding will be published over the coming months
At a local level, National Health Service trusts and integrated care boards are responsible for delivery, implementation, and funding decisions for services, including managing the local capital budget for their areas, and allocating funds according to local priorities, such as investment in healthcare facilities.