A new five-year strategy has been launched to improve health and care services for people living in Norfolk and Suffolk.

The Population Health and Commissioning Strategy for 2026–2031 sets out how the NHS will work with partners to help people live longer, healthier and happier lives, while improving access to services and reducing unfair differences in health outcomes. It is the local response to the NHS long-term plan and marks a shift towards more preventative, joined-up and community-based care.

“This strategy sets out a clear vision for how we will improve health and care for people across Norfolk and Suffolk,” said Richard Watson, Executive Director of Strategy, Digital and Commissioning. “For local people, this is about making services easier to access, more joined up, and more focused on helping people stay well for longer.”

At the heart of the strategy is a commitment to move towards preventing illness wherever possible, while ensuring services remain sustainable for the future. People in Norfolk and Suffolk are living longer, but many are not staying healthy for as long as they could. On average, people spend around 63 years in good health. At the same time, demand for NHS services is increasing, waiting times are still too long in some areas, and more people are living with complex, long-term conditions.

Health inequalities also remain a significant challenge. In some of the most deprived communities, early deaths are around 70% higher, and around 6% of working-age people are unable to work due to health issues.

The strategy is built around four key ambitions: preventing illness wherever possible, providing more care closer to home, making better use of digital and data, and working more closely with partners to improve wider health and wellbeing. Together, these changes are designed to make a real difference to people’s everyday lives, including easier access to care, shorter waiting times, and more support closer to home.

“Ultimately, this means services that are easier to navigate, more joined‑up, and better focused on helping people stay well,” said Richard. “Over time, people should experience care that feels simpler to use and more responsive to their needs.”

Across the country, ICBs are developing new commissioning strategies as part of wider NHS reforms, strengthening their role in planning and improving services for local populations. This means taking a more strategic, long-term approach — focusing not only on treating illness, but also on prevention, reducing health inequalities and working more closely with partners. This strategy sets out how that approach will be delivered in Norfolk and Suffolk, helping ensure resources are used effectively and services remain sustainable.

The strategy will support services that are more joined up, proactive and easier to navigate, with improved access through digital tools and continued focus on reducing waiting times and improving people’s experience of care. It also recognises that health is shaped by more than healthcare alone, including factors such as housing, employment, education and community connections.

A key part of the approach is strengthening partnership working across the NHS, local councils, social care and the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, helping to design services around people’s needs and improve continuity of care.

“No single organisation can deliver these changes alone,” said Richard. “By working in partnership with local authorities, community organisations and our wider partners, we can address the wider factors that affect people’s health and build stronger, healthier communities across Norfolk and Suffolk.”

The strategy has been informed by a wide range of evidence, including local health data, the Integrated Needs Assessment, and feedback from communities. Engagement showed that people want services that are more connected, compassionate and easier to navigate, with better communication and less risk of falling between services, as well as a stronger focus on prevention and early help.

This is a long-term strategy, and not all changes will happen immediately. In the first phase, the focus will be on improving access, reducing waiting times and addressing current pressures, including strengthening community services and ensuring care is safe, consistent and high quality.

Over time, the NHS and its partners will expand neighbourhood-based care, embed prevention, make better use of digital tools, and strengthen partnerships. Progress will be measured through improvements in healthy life expectancy, reductions in health inequalities, and better access to high-quality care.

You can find out more by reading the full Population Health and Commissioning Strategy or viewing the summary slides.