Successive governments have promised to move more care out of hospitals and into communities. The idea has been written into policy after policy, from integrated care strategies to long-term NHS plans. Yet in practice, the centre of gravity in the health service remains stubbornly tied to the acute sector. Now, a leadership appointment in York could test whether this time will be different.
Simon Morritt, who is retiring as Chief Executive of York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, will become the new CEO of Nimbuscare, a GP-led community provider. His move from running a large acute trust to leading a primary and community-based organisation is notable in itself. It also comes at a moment when Nimbuscare is seen as a strong contender to help deliver the government’s vision for a “neighbourhood health service.”
Nimbuscare already has a profile well beyond its size. It was highlighted in the government’s 10-Year Health Plan as an example of how local teams can integrate social care, GPs, charities, and hospitals to support patients outside of acute settings. The organisation’s model aligns closely with national ambitions to bring services closer to where people live, reduce hospital admissions, and strengthen preventative care.
Mike Holmes, Chair of Nimbuscare and a York GP, has called Morritt’s appointment a “pivotal moment” for the organisation. It is easy to see why. Morritt brings not only leadership experience but also the credibility that comes from having run a major hospital trust. If the goal is to persuade both the NHS and the public that care can be delivered effectively outside hospital walls, appointing someone with acute sector authority sends a clear signal.
The timing also matters. The government is preparing to name 42 pioneer sites that will lead the neighbourhood health agenda. Nimbuscare is widely expected to be among them. If confirmed, it would put the organisation at the forefront of testing whether the long-standing promise to shift care closer to home can finally be delivered at scale.
There are reasons to be cautious. The ambition to rebalance care has been around for decades. Every attempt has run into the same obstacles: funding flows that favour hospital activity, workforce shortages in community services, and the difficulty of building the kind of integrated teams that can respond quickly to patient needs outside an acute setting. Senior NHS leaders often talk about the benefits of prevention and community-based care, but the incentives in the system still reward hospital treatment.
The hope is that Morritt’s appointment signals a more serious commitment to overcoming those barriers. His understanding of how hospitals operate could help design community services that work in genuine partnership with acute care, rather than competing for resources. His experience of NHS governance and finance will also be vital in navigating the system pressures that so often pull attention back to hospitals.
The concept of a neighbourhood health service is not just about location. It is about changing the relationship between patients and the health system. It means giving people earlier interventions, more personalised support, and care that is joined up across different parts of the system. It also means creating capacity in the community to prevent avoidable hospital admissions. A goal that benefits both patients and the wider NHS.
Morritt’s move will not, on its own, deliver this vision. But it does represent a meeting point between the acute and community worlds that has often been missing in leadership roles. If Nimbuscare does become a pioneer site, its success or failure will be closely watched as a measure of whether the health service is ready to take neighbourhood care seriously.
For now, the appointment is a sign that some senior leaders are willing to put their weight behind a shift that has been talked about for too long without real progress. The test will be whether the structures, funding, and political will are in place to turn a well-worn ambition into a reality that patients can see and feel in their daily lives.
