Posted on: 19 December 2025
Thank you for all your work in 2025 and the difference you continue to make in all of our communities in West Yorkshire. It’s been a year that has tested the mettle of everyone in the system and one that has challenged all of our communities. The professionalism, commitment and impactful collaboration of all partners has seen a number of successes and some progress being made across all of our objectives. In a world where hate crimes and atrocities have affected many of our communities, and where redundancies and reorganisation dominate the narrative around our work, we cannot and should not let this progress go un-noticed and unheralded.
So thank you to every one of you who stood alongside colleagues affected by antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, misogyny, ableism, and every act designed to divide us. We stand by the Nolan Principles and the developments set out in our strategy around the Power of one, power of many – working together for equity and fairness.
Thank you for maintaining a focus on those furthest from care, with our CORE20 Plus 5 work, significant focus on homelessness, those seeking refuge and asylum and support for people in the care system. Progress continues to be made with much, much more to do.
Thank you for focusing on quality, safety and experience in a world dominated by finance, doing so with humility and stepping into organisations and spaces where things have gone wrong, so that we can listen, engage and act to recover confidence lost with staff and the public. Issues in maternity services, neurodiversity, children and mental health services have often dominated this agenda, and we have responded – and are open to where we need to do more. If we lose sight of the quality of services, we are lost, and we have not done so.
Thank you for delivering clean accounts, on time that reflect a system that delivers its financial targets, through openness, risk sharing and difficult decision making. Thank you for persisting with difficult decisions that are always made with the consequences assessed and understood. We are not responsible for the cards we are dealt, but we do have a say on how they are played, and our collective work has seen us survive and often thrive together.
Thank you for working with organisations across our partnership to look at joining up care in neighbourhoods and places. for the work on employment and health, creative health and housing and health. Thank you for always seeing the VCSE, Healthwatch, local government, business and academic partners as colleagues and partners in a shared endeavour.
Thank you for supporting the research, innovation and improvement agenda, backed by a brilliant Health Innovation Network and major developments in health innovation at Huddersfield University and the innovation arc in the Leeds City Region. Our work on digital maturity, AI and cyber security has seen crucial improvements on a critical agenda.
Thank you for always having your say in the development of one, three and five year plans to support delivery of the 10 Year Health Plan. Colleagues from across the partnership have been involved in developing these plans, which are built from a wealth of information and on the needs and wishes of our local communities.
Thank you for persisting, for turning up when it’s been a terrible day and for turning up on those days where your ideas and actions have carried everyone with you. Whatever your role – from crucial admin of the business we run to the clinical and service decisions that save lives or make lives worth living – you are seen and valued here. And if you are leaving us soon, I will miss you and your contribution and wish you well for what is next in your life.
Happy Christmas, and looking forward to the New Year, I can’t promise that it will be easy or straightforward. I can promise we will continue to make a difference to the people who live and work in West Yorkshire.
Thank you for being part of West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership.
Take care,
Rob
What's been happening this week?
ICB organisational change
The latest ICB organisational change update is available to read or download.
ICB Board meeting
West Yorkshire doctor wins national GP award
Congratulations to Dr Zoyah Hussain, a GP in Keighley, who has been recognised locally and nationally for her work to reduce health inequalities at local GP partnership Modality AWC.
Dr Hussain was recognised for her exceptional contributions to healthcare, winning the Modality staff award in May this year for her efforts to reduce health inequalities. In December, she received national recognition by earning the Future Leader in General Practice award at the 2025 General Practice Awards.
Dr Hussain has led a partnership approach with local community organisations to deliver a range of accessible clinics and education sessions across the local area. The work has bucked local and national trends with increases in baby immunisations in Keighley at a time when immunisation rates across Bradford and parts of West Yorkshire are falling. Find out more about Dr Hussain’s work on the Modality website.
CHFT nurse recognised for outstanding service to nursing
Congratulations to Amanda McKie, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust Nurse Consultant for Learning Disabilities, who has been awarded the NHS England Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Award for Outstanding Service to Nursing.
The awards recognise and reward the significant and outstanding contribution made by nurses and midwives in England, and their exceptional contribution to nursing and midwifery practice.
Amanda has worked at CHFT for 18 years and throughout that time has led with passion to advocate for people with a learning disability and their families who use the trust’s services. This includes a focus on health inclusion, training, teamwork and personalised care which has ensured that people with a learning disability under the trust’s care have a positive experiences and much improved outcomes. Find out more on the trust website.
Chris Kamara helps spread festive magic across Pinderfields Hospital
Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust was thrilled to welcome back football favourite and trust ambassador Chris Kamara, who once again brought festive joy to children, families and staff at Pinderfields Hospital.
Chris spent time chatting with staff and visitors before teaming up with Santa to deliver gifts to children’s wards and Abacus Nursery, courtesy of hospital radio presenter Charlie Keith and his fundraising efforts.
Find out more on the trust website.
Leeds workers get back on their feet with Active Leeds
Leeds City Council’s Active Leeds is leading the way in supporting workers with long-term health conditions to stay in or return to work. A pilot builds on the Leeds Encouraging Activity in People (LEAP) community programme and uses physical activity, health coaching and peer support to improve wellbeing, fitness and confidence.
The programme, running from April 2025 to April 2026, targets employed adults in Leeds who are either off sick or need extra support at work. It aims to help 300 people through physical activity programmes and 200 people via vocational rehabilitation for respiratory, cardiac and stroke patients.
Participants receive one-to-one health coaching, tailored programmes and access to weekly community sessions. When people join the programme, the team baselines their health so improvements can be tracked. Over the weeks, people are seeing better physical activity levels, healthier weight, lower heart rate and blood pressure as well as a real boost in wellbeing.
This project is part of Healthy Working Life - reducing the number of people in West Yorkshire who may become unable to work because of ill health. Read the case study on our Healthy Working Life pages for more information.
Review launched into mental health, ADHD and autism services
An independent review will examine how the health system currently delivers mental health, ADHD and autism services to help ensure children and adults can get the right support. Find out more on the Gov.uk website.
Celebrating Dave Hall – a remarkable career and well-deserved recognition, Leeds Community Healthcare
Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust was delighted to celebrate the outstanding career of Dave Hall, who has been awarded a Cavell Star Award in recognition of his exceptional contributions to patient care.
The Cavell Star Award honours those who go above and beyond for patients and colleagues, and Dave is a truly deserving recipient. Throughout his career, Dave has consistently demonstrated compassion, professionalism and an unwavering commitment to improving patient safety and experience. His impact has been felt not only by the patients he supported, but also by the many colleagues who have had the privilege of working alongside him.
As well as this special award, the trust also marked Dave’s retirement from the NHS after an incredible 42 years of service. We extend our warmest congratulations to Dave on his award and offer our heartfelt thanks for his decades of service to the NHS. We wish him a long, happy and well-earned retirement.
Meet the hospital staff who spend the Christmas holidays caring for others
While many of us are with family and friends, exchanging gifts, pulling crackers and enjoying Christmas dinner, hospital staff in Leeds will be looking after patients with dedication and compassion – as they do all year round.
Colleagues from services all across Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will be keeping patients safe and comfortable, and bringing plenty of Christmas cheer to the festive season. Find out more on the trust website https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/news/