Today’s leadership message is from Fiona Halstead, Strategic Development Director of our Regional Research Delivery Network

Posted on: 7 August 2026

Today’s leadership message is from Fiona Halstead, Strategic Development Director at the NIHR Yorkshire and Humber Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN)

Hello, my name is Fiona.

Fiona Halstead As one of 12 regional research delivery networks (RRDNs) in England and funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), our work spans the three Yorkshire and Humber integrated care boards.

We support 29 active researchers through our regional settings and specialty leads (RSSLs) who are embedded in trusts, primary care or wider care settings. These clinical experts support the 29 clinical specialties which include different diseases within each clinical area.

These specialties cover hundreds of health conditions from the ‘top of your head to the tips of your toes’. They identify, champion and enable clinical trials or studies in all conditions from an expansive NIHR national research portfolio. Embedded in our workstreams, our 29 RSSLs develop this work in their specialist fields.

In addition, the Yorkshire and Humber RRDN supports the infrastructure and delivery in health and care settings where studies and research take place. The majority of research projects, for now, still take place in our region’s hospitals, but a growing number are being delivered in wider care settings including community, residential and primary care.

To lead this new focus on care settings, our Health and Care Directors, Alistair Hall and Gail Mills have primary responsibility for supporting our RSSL clinical colleagues in settings and specialties. As Strategic Development Director, I have the absolute pleasure of working closely with them all as they continue to provide their expert research knowledge to strategically develop our research portfolio in their clinical discipline. These ‘specialties and settings’ functions play a key leadership role in the ongoing development and performance of our RRDN.

In Yorkshire and Humber our RRDN initiated a programme of three, day-long events for our three setting areas - primary care, hospitals and wider care and community settings. Following our hospitals event in January this year, the national hospital setting lead, Professor Sandip Mitra said,

“I was pleased to be the keynote speaker at the NIHR Y&H RDN strategic meeting for hospital settings. The event was a great example of sharing, collaboration and learning across this large region, with hospitals and primary care sharing brilliant examples of cross organisational working and improved processes for speedy study set-up”.

Working together with you, with our ICB’s, our health and care organisations and our colleagues, enables us to deliver the 1,000 plus studies in our region each year. Alongside this we have recruited over 109,567 people to take part in research through our ‘Be Part of Research’ registry.

For more information, or a conversation on how you and your colleagues can get involved in the vital role of research, please contact me: fiona.halstead@nihr.ac.uk. By championing the benefits of research and the impact and innovation it brings, we truly add to the health and wealth of our entire nation.

Innovation and New Models of Care

This blog comes from Helen Ryan, Programme Manager for Innovation and New Models of Care at West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance

Helen Ryan.jpg The West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance’s Innovation and New Models of Care programme has grown significantly over the past year, supporting projects across primary care, hospitals, the voluntary and community sector, academia and industry. From AI-enabled diagnostic pathways and digital screening support to community-led awareness campaigns and projects designed with underserved communities, the programme shows how innovation is helping to improve earlier diagnosis, patient experience and equitable cancer care.

A key theme running through the work is collaboration. The Alliance’s first Innovation Through Collaboration Conference brought together more than 300 colleagues to share learning, celebrate achievements and showcase creative approaches to improving outcomes for people affected by cancer. Looking ahead, the alliance will build on this momentum through its 2026/27 Innovation Award Scheme, a new three-year Innovation Strategy and a focused digital programme to support scalable improvements across cancer pathways.

Read Helen’s full blog on the Partnership website to find out more about the projects, partnerships and priorities shaping innovation in cancer care across West Yorkshire and Harrogate.

What's been happening across West Yorkshire Health Care Partnership

Professor Dame Carol Black visits Bradford to see pioneering support helping people stay in work

Dame Carol Black

We welcomed Professor Dame Carol Black to West Yorkshire last month to learn more about the area’s pioneering vocational rehabilitation pathway, part of the Healthy Working Life programme.

Dame Carol, a leading expert on the link between health and work, met clinicians, partner organisations and people with lived experience during a visit to New Mill in Saltaire.

The pathway brings health, employment and neighbourhood support together in one co-ordinated service, helping people with health conditions stay in work, return to work and thrive in their jobs.

Support includes early identification, multidisciplinary assessment, occupational therapy, psychological support, careers guidance and close working with employers. The visit highlighted the importance of joined-up, personalised support in improving health, wellbeing and employment outcomes. Find out more on the Partnership website.

Executive Director of Nursing at ICB appointed

Following a competitive recruitment process, Julie Clennell has been appointed as substantive Executive Director of Nursing at NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board.

Julie has been working with the ICB as Interim Executive Director of Nursing alongside her role as Regional Director of Nursing and Clinical Quality Director in the NHS England North East and Yorkshire regional team, following Beverley Geary’s move to Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

In her interim role, Julie has provided strong executive leadership during a significant period of organisational change, working closely with colleagues across the ICB and the wider West Yorkshire health and care system. Her experience, support and steady leadership have been greatly valued as the ICB implements its new operating model as a strategic commissioning organisation.

Julie will continue to work with partners and stakeholders across West Yorkshire as we collectively develop new ways of working and continue our shared focus on improving health and care for our communities.

She will formally leave her NHS England role on 30 September 2026 and will continue to undertake both roles until then.

Leeds selected as UK site for groundbreaking European research pilot to transform digital support for diabetes in young people

Leeds Diabetes Team

Leeds has been selected as the UK site for a major, EU-funded European research pilot, IMPACT-MED, which aims to transform the treatment of diabetes in young people.

Supported by the EU’s Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU), the five year initiative, IMPACT-MED, brings together leading European experts across healthcare, research, industry and patient organisations to develop innovative approaches to care across a range of cardiometabolic diseases.

Led by Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma (Italy) and Medtronic Ibérica (Spain), together with 26 partners across 13 countries, the collaborative programme will connect digital tools with clinical expertise and real-world evaluation to improve prevention and long-term management of a range of cardiometabolic conditions. It aims to expand pilots into real-world adoption across multiple healthcare settings across the continent.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust is the only NHS trust involved in the initiative. The UK-based arm of the trial, developed by the trust together with industry partners Minimed-Diabeter and DigiBete, will explore the role that digital tools play in supporting self‑management of diabetes to help accelerate the adoption of new innovations to support clinical care. Find out more on the trust website.

New ‘gamechanger’ NHS treatment for COPD trialled at Bradford Teaching Hospitals

Dinesh Saralaya and colleagues

A new treatment for the common respiratory condition COPD was trialled with patients at Bradford Teaching Hospitals and has now received NICE approval for use in the NHS.

Consultant Respiratory Physician and Director of the NIHR Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC) Bradford and West Yorkshire, Professor Dinesh Saralaya (pictured on the left above) led the UK trial to test the effectiveness of the drug Dupilumab in the treatment of COPD.

The drug has been approved for use in adults with uncontrolled COPD linked with type 2 inflammation (raised blood eosinophils) as it reduces flare-ups which can lead to significant symptoms for patients and emergency admissions to hospital.

There are around three million people with COPD in the country, and the new treatment is expected to help up to 400 patients in the Bradford area with severe COPD, one of the leading causes of death and hospitalisations in the UK.

Professor Saralaya, who has extensive experience in treating patients with COPD, hailed Dupilumab as a ‘gamechanger’ that showed a 31% reduction in serious symptoms leading to GP visits or hospital admissions. Over 50% of patients reported significant improvement in their symptoms and quality of life.

Find out more on the trust website.

New ovarian cancer roadmap launched

Airedal HODU The gynaecology cancer nurse specialist team at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust has brought together all their important patient cancer information into one easy place for patients. They have produced a digital roadmap for their patients with gynaecological cancers, starting with their ovarian cancer roadmap.

The team know that cancer patients are offered an overwhelming amount of information throughout their journey. This ranges from information on diagnosis, support services, treatment plans, managing side effects, not to mention all their appointment details.

Having information that can be personalised, accessible to all and shared with friends and families, particularly if they are not local, can help to reduce the stress and anxieties a cancer diagnosis brings.

For those with ovarian cancer, this digital roadmap offers a one-page document with multiple QR codes for patients to scan and be directed to relevant information at every point in their journey. Patients have the reassurance that information is from reliable sources, including the trust’s own cancer web page, with patient videos that can be translated into multiple languages and even offer sign language interpretation. Find out more on the trust website.

Mid Yorkshire nurse consultant elected to the Council of the European Wound Management Association

Leanne Atkin A senior clinician from Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust has been elected to the Council of the European Wound Management Association (EWMA), a prestigious appointment recognising her expertise and leadership within the international wound care community.

Leanne Atkin, nurse consultant at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust and Associate Professor at the University of Huddersfield, has joined the EWMA Council. The appointment reflects the growing recognition of the work being undertaken in vascular and lower limb care, alongside wider clinical academic contributions across both organisations. Find out more on the trust website.

PCCS Cardiovascular HCP of the Year Award goes to Dr Muhammad Murad Khan

Dr Murad Khan Dr Muhammad Murad Khan has been named the Primary Care Cardiovascular Society (PCCS) Cardiovascular Healthcare Professional of the Year for creating and leading a community-based cardiovascular service. This new service is helping patients with palpitations and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) get diagnosed and treated more quickly.

The Wakefield service was created in response to the challenges faced by patients with intermittent symptoms, who often wait a long time for a diagnosis and are referred between multiple services before getting the right care.

Led through primary care, the pathway brings specialist assessment, structured triage and patient-activated ECG monitoring into the community. This means patients can be assessed and diagnosed closer to home, reducing the need for hospital referrals.

In the first 12 months, the service improved access to heart rhythm testing, cut unnecessary referrals to secondary care and gave patients faster answers and greater reassurance. A dedicated pathway for people with POTS, a condition that is frequently under-recognised and can be difficult to diagnose was also introduced.

The award recognises how Dr Khan's work has shown that primary care can deliver specialist-quality cardiovascular care while improving patient experience and easing system pressure.

West Yorkshire organisations shortlisted in HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2026

Congratulations to West Yorkshire candidates shortlisted for the HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2026 including the following.

Health Care First - standing strong: community cardiology pathway for palpitations and postural tachycardia syndrome – shortlisted under the Neighbourhood and Community Health Safety Initiative of the Year category.

Modality Partnership - automating assurance: a closed-loop digital safety alert system across 55 sites – shortlisted under the Digital Clinical Safety Initiative of the Year category.

Yorkshire and Humber Paediatric Critical Care Operational Delivery Network - Martha's Rule pilot – shortlisted under the Paediatrics and Children and Young People Safety Initiative of the Year and Patient Safety Pilot Project Initiative of the Year categories.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust - from RESPOND to recognition: embedding great work across our surgical unit - shortlisted under the Staff Wellbeing Initiative of the Year and the Surgical Care Safety Initiative of the Year categories.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust - suicide postvention support - shortlisted under the Staff Wellbeing Initiative of the Year category.

Modality Partnership - wellbeing as a safety strategy: embedding psychological safety across 55 sites - shortlisted under the Staff Wellbeing Initiative of the Year category.

Judging panels are now taking place and award winners will be announced at a special ceremony on Monday 28 September 2026. Good luck to all shortlisted candidates. For more information see the HSJ shortlist.

A new name for a shared future - introducing Leeds Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Leeds Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) has been chosen as the name for the new organisation formed through the planned merger of Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT) and Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust (LCH).

The new name marks an important milestone as the two trusts prepare to come together on 1 April 2027, creating a single organisation providing community, mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services across Leeds and beyond.

Dr Sara Munro, Chief Executive of LYPFT and LCH, said, "Choosing a name may seem like a simple step, but it is an important part of creating our shared identity and telling the story of who we are, what we stand for and how we want to be known by the people and communities we serve. This is an exciting moment in our journey towards becoming one organisation and I’d like to thank all of you who have engaged with us and contributed your views.”

You can find out more on the trust website - A new name for a shared future - Leeds Community Healthcare

Making a difference with Healthy Working Life

Healthy Working Life continues to make a real difference across West Yorkshire, helping people improve their health, stay in work and create healthier workplaces. Three recent stories showcase the impact of the programme.

Wakefield Place Workforce Transformation Hub

Phillip Marshall and Dr Linda Harris Congratulations to the Wakefield Place Workforce Transformation Hub which has been shortlisted for a prestigious Healthcare People Management Association (HPMA) Excellence in People Award for its Healthy Working Life initiative.

Pictured above are Phillip Marshall, Director of Workforce and Organisational Development and Co-Responsible Officer and Dr Linda Harris, Chief Executive at Spectrum Community Health CIC and Co-Responsible Officer.

The programme brings health and care partners together to support staff wellbeing through services such as social prescribing, mentoring, return-to-work support and musculoskeletal care. Read more on the Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust news pages

Work Well Calderdale

A Calderdale resident is looking to the future with renewed confidence after receiving personalised support through Work Well Calderdale. After being referred by her GP, she was connected with counselling, debt advice, community support and wellbeing activities, including free access to Calderdale's Better Living Service. Read more on the case study pages.

KiActiv

A digital rehabilitation programme is helping people across West Yorkshire take control of their health and stay active. Through the Healthy Working Life programme, more than 200 people have started using the KiActiv platform which combines personalised technology with one-to-one coaching to support people living with long-term health conditions. Read more on the case study pages.

Healthy Working Life is a joint programme from the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

New app to support unpaid carers in West Yorkshire

Share2Care app graphic (decoratiove)

Share2Care- WYICB, a new free app designed to support unpaid carers across West Yorkshire, launched last week.

Developed in partnership with Care Networx and co-designed with unpaid carers, Share2Care- WYICB provides a simple and secure way for carers to store important information in one place and share it with the people who matter most, helping them co-ordinate their caring role more effectively. Most importantly, the app enables carers to create a digital contingency plan that can be securely uploaded to their NHS record, ensuring vital information is available when it is needed most.

For security and peace of mind, users access the app using their NHS App Login, providing a trusted and secure way to verify their identity and access their information.

We encourage partners and stakeholders to help raise awareness of the app across their networks and communities. Together, we can help ensure unpaid carers have access to the tools, information and support they need to continue their invaluable caring role with greater confidence, connection and peace of mind.

To download the app visit https://carenetworx.com/share2care-wyicb/