News

Launched in July 2022, the Leeds Health and Social Care Hub represents a new, dynamic way for central Government and local partners to work together.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), works in partnership with health, care and academic leaders in Leeds and West Yorkshire. We are thrilled to be a partner of the Hub as its aim aligns with our own mission to transform lives through innovation and to connect innovators, NHS partners and academia to help identify, develop, and implement solutions that can help to tackle the most pressing challenges for the benefit of patients, health and care staff and the communities we serve. Other partners include NHS Trusts, universities, West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and Leeds City Council.  By bringing the strength of different perspectives, knowledge, and resources together, the Hub is working to shape local, regional, and national policies, address systemic inequalities, and promote health and care innovation.

Leeds and the surrounding region are a centre of innovation in health and social care, taking a collaborative approach to delivering high quality local services.  The region’s close partnership working has built the foundation for a strong and thriving local health and care system, and health economy, where diversity and inclusion can be a strength.

DHSC has a longstanding presence in Leeds and is building on this.  We want the Hub, and its new way of working to integrate the knowledge, skills and experience of local and central government, to be a template for a forward0-thinking approach to policy initiatives and development, including prevention and early intervention, and working with communities.

The Hub’s key areas of focus are careers, policy development and the health and care economy.

Careers: Developing clearer career pathways between health and care organisations in Leeds, using our excess apprenticeship levy to support skills development locally. Helping address the needs and skill requirements of the economy, for sustainable regional and talent growth.

Policy Development: Designing a new way of working that allows for the development of knowledge, service improvement and innovation in health and care. Also bringing together the knowledge, experience and insight of all partners to address health and care policy challenges.

The Health and Care Economy:  Working together to continue to develop Leeds as a location of choice for health and social care businesses, particularly innovative businesses and those in the digital health and medical technology sectors.

Connecting national organisations to local systems helps to develop strong foundations which can be built upon for the benefit of the health and care system is key for the Hub.

For example:

We have established a Policy Observatory with Hub Partners to collaboratively combine local and national analysis to support policy development and evaluate the impact of policies after implementation. Currently, we are looking at how in elective recovery, an alternative payment mechanism could support true productivity increases and value for patients.

Using the experiences of those receiving services and those delivering services to ensure that policies are effective and deliverable, the Observatory aims to create a robust evidence framework that captures the effectiveness and impact of policies across the system.  And by taking a “whole community” approach to policy development, it aims to understand the impact of wider government policies on health and social care.

Leeds Health and Social Care Hub is working with the Northern Ambulance Alliance including Yorkshire Ambulance Service colleagues on a deep dive into using ambulance data to analyse, understand and address inequalities.

Recently, the Hub held a successful Policy in Leeds Day where DHSC Quarry House teams were joined by senior DHSC leaders, health, and social care colleagues, (including chief executives from the Local Authority and a think tank), for lively discussions and development of fresh approaches to policy making.

Building on this, today (Thursday 8 June) Sir Chris Wormald and England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty will host a day of events focused on the breadth and importance of public health.  This will foster and strengthen our relationship with health and social care colleagues across Leeds and West Yorkshire – making the case for evidence, research and prevention in the Public Health space.