In West Norfolk, a proactive falls prevention initiative is helping older adults stay well and independent for longer. Using local data, the programme identifies people aged 65+ who may be at risk of falling and offers early, personalised support before a crisis happens.

Residents are contacted by the local team and offered practical help such as home adaptations to reduce trip hazards, referrals to strength and balance classes, and support with wider issues like loneliness or financial stress. Regular follow-ups ensure the help remains relevant and effective.

This approach is already reducing falls, improving confidence and mobility, and helping people avoid the need for more intensive care. It’s a strong example of the 10-Year Plan’s shift from sickness to prevention – keeping people safe and well in their own homes through early, joined-up support.

A targeted project in West Norfolk is helping address health inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities, who often face barriers accessing routine healthcare. With focused funding and strong partnership working, the initiative aimed to improve uptake of Annual Health Checks (AHCs) across the area.

Working with GP practices and community partners, the project introduced staff training, LD champions, outreach sessions, and desensitisation activities using a mobile health bus. It also removed barriers like transport by funding free travel to appointments. These steps helped individuals feel more confident and supported to access care.

Uptake of AHCs has increased year-on-year, helping identify issues earlier and enabling preventative treatment. In one case, a patient with severe anxiety received an early diagnosis of kidney failure after finally feeling able to attend a check. This programme shows how personalised, community-based prevention can make a lifesaving difference and supports the 10-Year Plan’s shift from sickness to prevention.

A lung cancer screening programme in NHS Norfolk and Waveney is helping save lives by diagnosing cancer earlier in people most at risk. Since launch, around 8,000 local people have taken up the offer, leading to 70 diagnoses – many found at an earlier stage when treatment is more effective.

The programme began in Great Yarmouth and Gorleston in 2022, then Lowestoft in 2023, as these areas have higher lung cancer rates. It is aimed at people aged 55 to 74 who are current or former smokers. Screening involves an initial health assessment and, if needed, a quick, painless lung scan. Over 5,000 scans have been completed so far by the James Paget University Hospital Trust.

The programme will be rolled out across the rest of Norfolk and Waveney later this year and will become part of a full national NHS programme by 2029, supporting the goal to prevent illness and save lives through early diagnosis.

To improve access for underserved communities, the ICB introduced the Wellness on Wheels (WoW) bus in partnership with Voluntary Norfolk. Designed to remove barriers to vaccination, the WoW bus brings health and care services directly into areas of deprivation and communities with historically lower healthcare engagement. It visits supermarkets, markets, and community events, offering a trusted and convenient way for people to receive vaccinations and health advice.

Since April 2024, the bus has delivered a wide range of seasonal vaccinations daily during campaigns, including MMR, Covid, Flu, RSV, Pertussis, and childhood vaccines. It operates using a Make Every Contact Count (MECC) approach and offers additional services such as immunisation record reviews, NHS Health Checks, stop smoking support, dental and eye clinics, family support, sexual health services, and health checks for people with learning disabilities.

Between April 2024 and January 2025, the WoW bus delivered over 1,096 Covid vaccines and 281 other vaccinations, carried out more than 168 health checks, and helped patients update their vaccination records promptly. Through partnerships with voluntary organisations and local councils, WoW effectively reaches underserved groups such as Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, asylum seekers, and people experiencing homelessness. By bringing health and care into the community, improving engagement and trust, the programme supports behaviour change, reduces health inequalities, and aligns closely with the Government’s 10-Year Plan to promote prevention and improve health outcomes.

An £88 million investment will transform care across Norfolk and Waveney’s three acute hospitals with the introduction of a new Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system.

Launching in 2026, the EPR will replace paper records and outdated systems, giving doctors, nurses, and other healthcare staff instant, secure access to up-to-date patient information. This will make care safer, more joined-up, and more personalised, while saving time for staff.

The system will make it easier for different services – such as hospitals, GPs, community teams, and social care – to share information, meaning patients only need to tell their story once. It will also support the use of new digital tools and technology in the future, including artificial intelligence, improving the way care is delivered.

This is a key step in the local NHS’s digital transformation journey, ensuring patients receive better, faster, and safer care now and in the years ahead.

Health Connect is a person-centred support service helping people recover at home after a hospital stay, with the goal of reducing readmissions and preventing long-term health inequalities. Operating across Great Yarmouth and Waveney, the programme connects individuals with health, care and community support tailored to their needs.

Since launching, the service has contacted over 12,000 people post-discharge, with around 3,000 receiving further support for issues like frailty, poor housing, or social isolation. Delivered in partnership between NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector, Health Connect offers practical help, emotional reassurance, and access to services that promote independence.

By addressing what matters to people – not just their health conditions – the programme is reducing pressure on hospitals and supporting healthier lives at home. It’s a strong example of the 10-Year Plan’s shift from hospital to community, and from treatment to prevention.

Poor housing can have a serious impact on health. In Norwich, the INTERACT programme is helping people overcome housing-related challenges to live healthier, more independent lives. Since 2022, this multi-agency service has supported over 1,200 people—mostly aged 50+—with help to move home, declutter, adapt their property, reduce isolation, or improve finances. Two-thirds have seen improvements to their housing and wellbeing, and many now rely less on health and care services.

Building on this success, the Safe Habitable Homes service now offers specialist support for people at risk due to self-neglect or hoarding. Delivered through trauma-informed, cross-sector collaboration, the service helps reduce risks like fire, falls and housing loss while boosting resilience.

Together, these programmes show the powerful link between better homes and better health—and are now influencing wider system change through the Support NoW pilot.

Physical activity is a powerful tool for better health. Launched in 2023, the Active NoW programme is helping thousands of people across Norfolk and Waveney—especially those with long-term conditions or from underserved communities—become more active and feel better.

Through a simple referral system and strong local partnerships, more than 10,000 people have been supported so far. Two-thirds continue to stay active after six months, with 81% saying they’re better able to manage their health condition. Participants also report better mental wellbeing, fitness, and overall health.

Designed to reduce health inequalities and pressure on the NHS, Active NoW is already delivering huge social and economic value—with every £1 invested generating over £22 in wellbeing benefits.

This is prevention in action: supporting people to move more, live well, and feel good—wherever they are on their health journey.

The Urgent Community Response (UCR) service helps prevent unnecessary hospital stays by providing fast and effective care at home. This year, UCR teams responded within two hours in 70% of cases, making sure people got the support they needed quickly and close to home. The Urgent Care Coordination Hub (UCCH) also played a big role, handling over 17,800 emergency calls in its first year and helping more than 11,000 patients receive care in the community instead of going to hospital. This work has been recognised nationally for its success.

Virtual Wards have been expanded to support vulnerable people, like those living in care homes. These wards use digital tools to monitor and manage patients remotely, helping more people get the right care at the right time. This matches the Government’s 10-Year Plan goal of using innovation and technology to improve care. A review is underway to make Virtual Wards even better and reduce hospital admissions further.

Other improvements include a new patient transport service started in October 2024, which helps people get to the right place for care smoothly. The Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit for older patients at QEH has also helped prevent hospital admissions and has now received permanent funding.

By bringing urgent care quickly into the community and reducing hospital visits, these services support the Government’s 10-Year Plan to focus on prevention and early help, improving health outcomes and easing pressure on hospitals.

Lowestoft Healthy Hearts is a two-year programme focused on preventing heart disease in one of the most deprived coastal communities in England. By bringing together NHS, council, and community partners, the project is helping people in Lowestoft live longer, healthier lives.

So far, over 6,500 residents have been supported to check and manage their blood pressure at home or in the community. Local campaigns, a Healthy Hearts Advisor, and health hubs are helping people quit smoking, move more, and eat well. Medication reviews and improved care pathways have led to 1,765 people achieving better blood pressure control, with 785 prescriptions adjusted to reduce their heart risk.

What makes this programme stand out? It’s built on local voices and data, using new tools like text-based BP checks and in-library health kiosks—removing barriers to care and putting prevention right where people are.

As Phase 2 begins, partners are building on early success to make Lowestoft a national example of what can be achieved when we invest in prevention, empower communities, and work together to reduce health inequalities.

This innovative pilot tackles poor housing conditions—like cold and damp—which are known to worsen long-term health conditions. Using population health data, the programme identified vulnerable residents in Waveney and offered targeted home support to protect health and prevent illness.

From Dec 2024 to Mar 2025, 437 residents were identified, with 50 home visits completed. Support included emergency heater loans, Winter Warmth Packs, benefits checks, and referrals for fire safety and disability services.

One family, living without proper heating or hot water, received emergency warmth supplies and secured a £30,000 grant to upgrade their heating system—transforming their living conditions and safeguarding their health.

This place-based prevention model shows the power of joined-up data and local partnerships. It’s a strong example of how we can shift from treating illness to tackling the root causes—like cold homes—to build healthier, more resilient communities.

Across Norfolk and Waveney, new digital tools are helping to improve care for children, young people, and maternity services. For families, this includes an online Neurodiversity Digital Library on Just One Norfolk, better access to speech and language therapy resources, and digital support for conditions like epilepsy, diabetes, and asthma.

Schools and health teams are using new digital tools to plan and track support for children with SEND, while data is being used to improve Education, Health and Care Plans.

In maternity services, a new digital hub is helping reduce digital exclusion, online dashboards are improving how care is monitored, and antenatal education is now offered through a mix of online and face-to-face sessions. These changes support the NHS 10-Year Plan by bringing care closer to people and making the most of digital technology.