In a letter to the minister of state for health, Karin Smith, the cross-party Health and Social Care Committee called for improved working conditions for district nurses, physios, pharmacists and occupational health staff.

The Committee's letter recommended clinical staff working in the acute sector will need further training before they can be redeployed to neighbourhood services.  

The letter states: ‘The Government must set out what training and support it will put in place to equip healthcare professionals with the specific skills they need to support them to work effectively in community settings, as well as how it will support staff to find the capacity to engage with that training.'

Health and Social Care Committee chair Layla Moran said: ‘There is broad support for the principle of shifting NHS services back to neighbourhoods, but this move could flounder if chronic problems aren't tackled. 

‘The forthcoming workforce plan needs to contain concrete action to improve conditions for community-based clinicians and allied health professionals so that these careers will be properly valued and seen as more attractive.'

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘Neighbourhood health centres fundamentally reimagine how the NHS works - bringing care closer to home and making sure the NHS is organised around patients' needs, not the other way round.

‘Starting in the most deprived areas, the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild programme will deliver 250 facilities and be subject to market testing, learning lessons from past and current models.

‘Our approach means providers only get paid when they deliver, contracts are more flexible and everything is on the Government's balance sheet from day one – with no hidden debts down the line.'

The first 120 neighbourhood facilities are due to be completed by 2030, of which it is estimated 50 will use public funding to upgrade existing estate and 70 will be new builds, with 80% delivered through PPP and 20% through public investment.