ABSTRACT
Community groups and voluntary organizations working together with the statutory services are promoting health and raising the issues concerned with inequalities. If health promotion is to become effective the idea of community participation must be put into practice, so the voluntary sector, community groups and similar social networks have a central part to play and may be an important resource in the process of enabling people to increase control over or improve their health and social wellbeing. The interventions show voluntary organizations or management leading the development of new services, clinics and counselling services; they also obtain the co-operation of other health professionals, agencies and authorities and voluntary organizations in jointly planning and delivering the service. ‘Best practice’ involves nurses collaborating with others and allowing themselves to be inventive in identifying changed healthcare practice in meeting targeted health and social needs.
