Top NHS bosses visit Leeds centre to see services ‘wrapped around’ the community
‘The centre demonstrates what can be achieved when organisations come together’
Senior NHS bosses have visited Leeds to see how health, council and community services are working together to support children, young people and families.
Dr Penny Dash, chair of NHS England, non-executive director Ravi Gurumurthy and Chief Nursing Officer for England Duncan Burton visited the Reginald Centre in Chapeltown on Thursday, October 2.
They met health and care workers from across Leeds during a tour of the centre, which brings together a range of services under one roof.
The visit was hosted by senior leaders from Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, primary care, the Leeds GP Confederation, West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, Local Care Partnerships and Leeds City Council.
The Reginald Centre was showcased as an example of the neighbourhood health approach, with organisations working together to make it easier for people to access support close to home.
Services based at the centre include 0-19 Public Health Integrated Nursing Services, children's speech and language therapy, community dental services, children's and young people's mental health services and specialist clinics for children with additional needs.
The centre also brings together council services including the Family Hub, housing support, the Department for Work and Pensions and Jobshop, alongside GP practices.
NHS England leaders were shown examples of services working together and took part in discussions about how similar approaches could be developed elsewhere.
Sam Prince, executive director of operations at Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “We were delighted to welcome NHS England colleagues to Leeds and showcase the strength of partnership working across our city.
“The Reginald Centre demonstrates what can be achieved when organisations come together around the needs of local populations.
“It was a valuable opportunity to share our learning as neighbourhood health continues to develop nationally.”
Nicola Nicholson, associate director for strategy and programmes at the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, said Leeds was “broadening our approach to neighbourhood health”.
She said: “Working together as one Team Leeds, we recognise the significant impact wider determinants have on people’s wellbeing and are including in our model housing, welfare and debt advice etc.
“Our ambition is to create a truly joined-up system that wraps around the whole person, supporting individuals, families and communities with the right help at the right time, rather than responding only to individual health needs.”
Dr Melissa Tasou, partner at Allerton and Westfield Medical Centre and clinical director of Chapeltown Primary Care Network, said the Reginald Centre had evolved over the past 15 years around the needs of local people.
She said the centre brought together services including GP practices, council services and the local care partnership HATCH, which co-ordinates more than 250 voluntary, community, social enterprise and statutory organisations.
She added: “Together, they wrap care and support around patients, helping to tackle health inequalities, address the wider determinants of health and support people to navigate their care.”
The Reginald Centre opened in 2010 and has since become a base for a wide range of health, council and community services in Chapeltown.
The visit gave NHS England leaders an opportunity to see how Leeds is already putting the principles of neighbourhood health into practice.