At the last Young Lives meeting on the 7 July 2021 members were able to hear an Introduction to Health Integration presentation from Richard Warrington of Voluntary Action Leeds about the changes that are happening within the Health Service across the city including:

• Some of the big health challenges and the planned solutions
• The role of the third sector
• The structural changes that will deliver this
• Thoughts on opportunities and challenges

This was followed by an Introduction to Local Care Partnerships from Karl Witty of Forum Central who outlined how the Local Care Partnerships (LCP) feed into the Health Integration Partnership. During the presentation it was noted that:

• Local Care Partnerships (LCPs) are the model of joined-up team working adopted in Leeds to improve health and care delivery to local people
• LCPs share a footprint with Primary Care Networks (PCNs) although some PCNs have come together to work under one LCP – While there are 19 PCNs there are currently only 15 LCPs.
• LCPs include a broad range of people and organisations working locally. All have strong representation from the third sector.
• Key achievements of the LCPs to date include improved cohesion and communication between different sections of the health and care system, use of data to plan and design collaborative health interventions and the delivery of local planning workshops around topics including Covid-19 inequalities.
• Each LCP has a different ‘personality’ and some are currently more ‘mature’ than others – with Leeds Student Medical Practice and The Light LCP only being formed during the pandemic and HATCH LCP (covering Chapeltown, Harehills, Richmond Hill and Burmantofts) having formed as a partnership before the label of Local Care Partnership was coined.
• Tackling Health inequalities in a joined up way is a key thread across all of the Local Health Partnerships.
• Each LCP conducts its own ‘mapping’ of local assets to help ensure that connections are made with relevant work within communities.
• People’s voices are an important part of the LCP model. In support of this each LCP has a Healthwatch representative present within core meetings and helping ensure local voices are part of LCP conversations.
• LCPs currently don’t have the ability to hold budgets, but a number of LCPs have developed successful collaborative bids for funds, with many led by third sector organisations.
• LCPs are currently being asked to further develop their structures to support shared decision making, with some LCPs asked to make a ‘Step Change’ towards more formalised governance structures in preparation for budget management.
• A number of LCPs have developed links with local school clusters and in the longer term it is envisaged that others will follow.
• Local healthcare alliances are under development, the most advanced example of which is currently in Glasgow – which is now acts as commissioner and controls a large part of the local healthcare budget.
• A Children and Young People’s Social Prescribing workshop will take place in Autumn 2021 with the aim of exploring opportunities for development of a Leeds based service. A date will be circulated when available.

 

If you would like to know more about either the Health Integration Plan or Local Care Partnerships please contact Karl.Witty@forumcentral.org.uk

Copies of both presentations are attached below.

Health Integration – introduction to structural reforms – unbranded

Forum Central LCP

Young Lives Leeds