Our Partnership is bringing the local NHS, councils and communities closer together by establishing a new Partnership Board to strengthen joint working arrangements between all organisations involved, and most importantly to further improve health and care for the 2.7 million people living across the area.
The importance of joining up care for people at a local level in the six local areas of Bradford District and Craven; Calderdale, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield is at the heart of local and West Yorkshire and Harrogate plans. All decisions on services are made as locally and as close to people as possible. To achieve this local health and care system requires democratic accountability and the eight councils involved in the Partnership (Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, North Yorkshire and Wakefield) are equal partners around the top table.
The Board is an important group for the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership, bringing in elected members, non-executives, and lay members into the decision making process.
There is no change in the legal powers or duties of all organisations involved that are represented on the Board - put simply, it will oversee a closer way of working towards shared goals; for example preventing ill health, breaking down barriers between physical and mental health, cancer, urgent care and tackling health inequalities which exist across the area.
The creation of the Partnership Board is another positive step forward. It makes sure that the work of the Partnership meets ambitions set out in its plan called ‘Our Next Steps to Better Health and Care for Everyone’ whilst informing the development of the long term plan.
Councilor Tim Swift, Leader of Calderdale Council and Chair of Calderdale Health and Wellbeing Board will be Chair of the Partnership Board for the first two years. Angela Schofield, Chair of Harrogate District NHS Foundation Trust, will be the Vice Chair. Rob Webster (Chief Executive of South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust) will continue to be the CEO Lead for our Partnership.
The first meeting of the Partnership Board took place on 4 June 2019. The Board will meet four times a year and all meetings will be held in public. The nomination of elected members will be determined by individual councils, whilst recognising the role of the Chair of each Health and Wellbeing Board across the area. The public voice of local people will also be represented on the Board – reflecting the Partnership’s commitment to make sure local voices are heard in everything it does.
The creation of the Partnership Board is consistent with the development of our Memorandum of Understanding.
You can read the Partnership Board's draft terms of reference here. These will be reviewed by the Board when it meets.