This week’s leadership message comes from Sarah Byrne, Knowledge Mobilisation Fellow, NIHR Applied Research Collaborative Yorkshire and Humber

Posted on: 26 September 2025

Bringing knowledge to life in West Yorkshire

Sarah Byrne Hello, my name is Sarah, and I’ve recently joined the ICB as a Knowledge Mobilisation Fellow. This role is hosted by NIHR Applied Research Collaboration for Yorkshire and Humber, and I have an honorary contract at the ICB, where I sit within the Strategy and Transformation Team.

Before we go any further, what are NIHR applied research collaborations (ARCs)? They support applied health and care research that responds to, and meets, the needs of local populations and local health and care systems. There are 15 ARCs across England, each bringing together expertise from universities, NHS trusts, local authorities and partners, to work with the public to focus on addressing the major health challenges faced by our population. You can find out more about NIHR Applied Research Collaborative for Yorkshire and Humber here.

I am a physiotherapist by profession, so I am very passionate about ensuring that evidence informs best practice in order to make a real difference to patients across our region.

You might not have heard the term knowledge mobilisation before, but the truth is, you’re probably already doing it. At its heart, knowledge mobilisation (KM) is about making sure that the right knowledge gets to the right people at the right time, so it can make a difference in the way we work, the services we design, and the outcomes for our communities.

It’s less about generating ‘new projects’ and more about shining a light on the good work already happening. KM helps us bring research, evidence, lived experience and practice knowledge together so that our decisions are informed, connected and impactful. It isn’t one-way communication from ‘research to practice’, it’s a two-way conversation.

My role is to ensure research aligns with ICB priorities so that it truly supports better care and outcomes. It is also about recognising that KM already happens every day in conversations, service redesigns, quality improvement projects and leadership decisions. My aim is to help frame, connect and share these examples so that we can build on them collectively.

If you’d like to learn more about how KM might support your work, or if you’ve got an example of how evidence has helped shape practice in your team, it would be great to connect. It would also be great to gather your thoughts on these three questions:

How do you usually access research or best practice from your work?
Where are the biggest opportunities to use evidence better, and what would help?
What barriers make it hard to use evidence in your day-to-day role?

Please share any feedback by emailing me at s.byrne11@nhs.net

Together, we can make sure that knowledge, whether from research, lived experience or local innovation, isn’t just generated, but mobilised, to improve health and care across West Yorkshire.

Thank you for reading,
Sarah

With the launch of a new West Yorkshire healthy heart hypertension guideline coming soon, this blog comes from Emily Turner, a lead pharmacist with a specialist interest in cardio renal. Emily’s blog looks at how the new guideline is an opportunity for West Yorkshire to lead on prevention.

Hello, my name is Emily

Emily Turner High blood pressure (also called hypertension) is the biggest risk factor for heart disease and stroke that we can do something about. Around one in four adults in the UK have it, but many remain undiagnosed or undertreated. In West Yorkshire, this adds up to thousands of preventable heart attacks, strokes and cases of kidney disease every year.

The new West Yorkshire healthy heart hypertension guideline gives us the chance to change this - and to do so together.

A stronger evidence base, a sharper focus

The evidence is clear - controlling blood pressure saves lives. Lowering it, even by a small amount, reduces the risk of heart attacks, strokes and early death. The new guideline encourages more ambitious blood pressure targets (below 130 over 80), provided treatment is well tolerated, reflecting evidence that lowering systolic blood pressure further reduces risk. Aiming lower is expected to get more people to the NICE targets overall.

A key change is the move towards using two types of blood pressure medicines together, right from the start, but at lower doses. This approach helps people reach healthier blood pressure levels more quickly and safely, with fewer side effects. It also avoids the stop-start cycle of switching medicines over time and reduces the need for repeated trips to the doctor.

What's been happening this week?

Board members of the ICB 2025 AGM standing together

ICB Board meeting and AGM

The ICB Board met in public on 23 September when it also held its annual general meeting. A recording of the meeting is available on the ICB website.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust leadership support

Statement from Rob Webster CBE, Chief Executive, NHS West Yorkshire ICB and Lead Chief Executive, West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, and Brendan Brown, Chief Executive, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust:

Beverley Geary Earlier this week, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published a well-led inspection report for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT) which confirms the outcome as Requires Improvement, with work to be done at senior leadership level. Last week, LTHT was confirmed as one of the 14 Trusts that will be part of the national maternity investigation. As a system, we welcome both the CQC report and the national maternity investigation.

West Yorkshire is a health and care system that works very differently to many other systems in the country. It is well established, and we take a one system approach. If we have an issue or challenge, we help and support each other. This behaviour and approach are deep rooted in how we work and operate.

With this in mind, NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) is supporting LTHT with the strengthening of leadership which the Trust has identified is required: in both nursing and midwifery; and HR, people and organisational development.

Beverley Geary, Director of Nursing at NHS West Yorkshire ICB has agreed to support LTHT immediately and will assume the the responsibilities of Chief Nurse for a temporary period with effect from Monday 29 September. Beverley will provide stability and support for both nursing, midwifery and AHP professions, along with ensuring strong and effective leadership for all things quality and safety.

Kate Sims, Director of People at NHS West Yorkshire ICB will support LTHT for a period of four months, with a staged transition, starting from Monday 29 September. Kate will work across both the ICB and LTHT for a short period, moving across fully to LTHT in the next couple of weeks. Jenny Lewis, the current Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development, has taken on a role closer to home as Chief People Officer for the Bristol NHS Group.

We both recognise the challenges faced by LTHT currently. We are firmly committed to working together, along with wider system partners, to making improvements and ensuring we are doing all we can to deliver high quality care, and support our colleagues, patients, and communities

South West Yorkshire Partnership Teaching NHS Foundation Trust recognised as a teaching trust

SWYPT logo Following approval by the University of Leeds, South West Yorkshire Partnership Teaching NHS Foundation Trust is now recognised as a teaching trust.

The trust’s new name, South West Yorkshire Partnership Teaching NHS Foundation Trust, was launched at their 2025 annual members’ meeting held on 17 September.

The partnership is one of very few nationally where teaching trust status has been achieved by a trust that provides community services alongside mental health, learning disability and autism services.

West Yorkshire Maternal Mental Health Service joins Parliament event for Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK

Rebecca Thomas, Estelle Verdi and Julia Mills Three colleagues attended a landmark event at the Houses of Parliament on 23 September to mark Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK. Organised by The Motherhood Group, the event brings together Black mothers, clinicians and policymakers to share lived experiences and clinical insights, with a focus on shaping policy and improving outcomes in maternal healthcare.

Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK is dedicated to raising awareness of the disparities faced by Black women during pregnancy and the postnatal period. The campaign seeks to promote education, advocacy and meaningful change in maternity and perinatal mental health services.

Rebecca Thomas, Lead Specialist Midwife and Dr Estelle Verdi, Principal Counselling Psychologist and Service Lead for Paths (the West Yorkshire Maternal Mental Health Service) attended the event. Joining them was Julia Mills, Perinatal Mental Health Inclusion Worker at South West Yorkshire Partnership Teaching NHS Foundation Trust.

Find out more on the Partnership website

Shaukat Ali Khan recognised in World CIO 200 for third year

Shaukat Ali Khan at CIO Forum 2025 Shaukat Ali Khan, Chief Digital and Information Officer at the ICB, has once again earned a place in the prestigious World CIO 200 list - marking his third consecutive recognition. At the Global CIO Forum’s 10th anniversary Grand Finale in Egypt, Shaukat was recognised for his outstanding leadership and global contributions to digital transformation. The summit gathered technology leaders from over 50 countries, honouring a decade of innovation and excellence.

Representing the United Kingdom and the ICB, Shaukat showcased the region’s commitment to digital innovation on a global stage. With more than 50 national and international awards to his name, Shaukat continues to shape global digital leadership.

Praise for Calderdale’s work to tackle antimicrobial resistance

PC Respiratory Society most patient-centred Poster Winners Work in Calderdale which is helping to transform antibiotic prescribing for respiratory infections has been recognised by the Primary Care Respiratory Society (PCRS).

A poster, summarising how a single-use rapid point of care test is being used in Calderdale’s acute respiratory infection (ARI) hubs along with patient feedback, won the ‘most patient centred’ poster category at the network’s annual conference in September 2025.

The winning poster by NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board in Calderdale, Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber and Pennine GP Alliance describes how the finger pin-prick blood test determines if a patient has a viral or bacterial infection within 10 minutes and included quotes from patients on how they felt about the test.

Find out more about the winning poster and the feedback from the judging process through this link to the Calderdale Cares Partnership website.

Supporting employees returning to work after a stroke

Healthy Working Life logo A new video is available to help employers understand how to effectively support employees returning to work after a stroke. The guidance highlights that recovery and workplace support go hand in hand - starting while someone is off work, continuing through their return and remaining vital in the long term.

The video is part of a stroke vocational rehabilitation pilot project. Thanks to the success of that pilot, the approach is now being scaled up across stroke, cardiac and pulmonary pathways within the Healthy Working Life programme - a joint programme of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board.

See the news pages on the partnership’s website for more information and visit the All Things Stroke website for more support around returning to, or remaining in work, after a stroke.