This week’s leadership message comes from Sarah Smith, Deputy Director, Improving Population Health, NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, who discusses how a shared sense of purpose can help us navigate uncertainty and work together for a healthier, more equitable West Yorkshire

Posted on: 17 October 2025

Image of Sarah Smith Same storm

When going through times of change a sense of shared purpose can keep us grounded. For me, focusing on a purpose as a constant is what is helping me to navigate the changes we’re all experiencing right now.

Public health is, at its heart, a purpose driven profession, focused on protecting and improving health and reducing inequalities. I feel fortunate to work in an organisation that shares this purpose, surrounded by colleagues and partners who remain committed to making a positive difference for the people of West Yorkshire - even amid the challenges and uncertainty we face.

Shared hopes

Back in April 2024, I was invited to attend an initiative called The Gordon Cook Conversations. It brought together leaders from all walks of life - business, public service, the arts, the military and education - to explore purpose and our hopes for the next decade. In our conversation, we found common ground - despite our very different backgrounds and experiences. What united us was a shared hope for greater social cohesion.

Same storm, different boats

A metaphor that resonated with us all was the idea that we are all in the same storm, but in different boats. The challenges we face as a society - be they economic, environmental or social - affect everyone but not equally. The way we experience these challenges depends on where we live, what support we have and the experiences that have shaped us.

I often come back to that image. It feels even more relevant in 2025 as we continue to navigate system change across multiple teams and organisations, while thinking about our role as strategic commissioners serving a diverse population. It’s a reminder that equity, empathy and mutual responsibility must be at the heart of how we respond to the challenges ahead.

From an organisational point of view, we are all weathering this storm of uncertainty, but in different ways. By acknowledging those differences - and being compassionate to the needs of our colleagues and partners - we can keep moving forward together with shared purpose. That’s what will help us continue to make a difference for the people we serve.

Population health needs assessment

One way we’re doing this is through the development of our new five-year strategy. Understanding the needs of our population is at the centre of that work. Strategic commissioning is about improving outcomes in a sustainable way - making sure that the finite resources we have are used to create the biggest positive impact on health and wellbeing.

A big part of this is our upcoming population needs assessment, which will help us to understand the patterns in our population’s health – the trends, risks and inequalities that shape people’s lives across West Yorkshire. It will describe our demographics, the key factors influencing health outcomes and how these patterns are changing over time. Crucially it will highlight inequalities that persist within our population and shine a light on those groups experiencing the worst health outcomes.

Early headlines

West Yorkshire has a higher proportion of people living in communities ranked most deprived with 36% in the most deprived quintile compared to the national average of 20%.
People in these communities live shorter lives and spend more years in poorer health. The main conditions driving these inequalities - heart disease, respiratory disease and cancer - are both preventable and amenable to health care intervention.
Long term conditions are expected to rise over the next 15 years, particularly depression and diabetes, which in turn increases the number of people living with multiple long-term conditions.
We’ve already shown that targeted prevention can make a real difference, for example, through stop smoking maternity services and better treatment of high blood pressure.
But inequalities in access to care persist. Those in the most deprived communities are still more likely to have emergency admissions but less likely to have planned care.
From a mental health perspective, one in five children and young people in West Yorkshire are living with a diagnosed mental health condition and over 37,000 of these had at least one contact with mental health services in 2023/24.
Inclusion health groups experience significantly worse health and care outcomes than the general population, even when compared to those in the most deprived decile (IMD1). For example, the mortality rate for a female from an inclusion health group is estimated to be eight and a half times higher than a female living in IMD1

Understanding these trends and differences help us focus on what really matters - taking collective action to create the conditions for healthier, longer lives for everyone in West Yorkshire.

We might all be in different boats, but it’s the same storm. And if we keep our shared purpose in sight - why we do what we do and who we do it for - we can keep rowing in the same direction. Together, we can weather the storm and keep making a positive difference, no matter how strong the winds get.

Thanks for reading

Sarah

What's been happening this week?

Airedale nurse shortlisted for national award

Congratulations to Chloe Taylor, Risk and Governance Nurse for Women, Children and Specialist Services at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, who has been shortlisted as a finalist for Neonatal Nurse of the Year.

The Neonatal Nurses Association’s award recognises inspirational neonatal nurses who have made an extraordinary difference, whether through supporting colleagues, optimising care for babies or offering comfort and guidance to families.

Chloe, from Eastburn, recently received the RCN Foundation Leathersellers’ Award for Outstanding Achievement in supporting children and young people’s mental health. Her work on trauma-informed care has also been shortlisted for a Nursing Times Award. Read more on the trust website.

Wakefield Community Diagnostic Centre attracts national interest for its positive local impact

Wakefield’s Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) has once again attracted national attention - this time after being featured on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme. The visit highlighted how the centre is not only transforming access to diagnostic tests and scans for local people, but also helping to revitalise the surrounding retail area, in what is a great example of partnership working between Wakefield Council and Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust.

Located in Westgate Retail Park, alongside several major retailers, the CDC was established to bring health services closer to the community, offering patients quicker, more convenient access to essential diagnostic tests such as X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, ultrasounds and blood tests, without the need to travel to hospital. Find out more on the trust website. You can also listen to the Today feature on BBC Sounds.

Big #TeamCHFT effort sees 1,200 colleagues vaccinated against flu in just a week

In just one week, almost 1,200 colleagues across Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust have been given their flu vaccine. The vaccine has given them, the people they work with, those they care for, as well as family and loved ones, vital protection against flu this winter.

Delivering this number of vaccines in just a week has been no mean feat and has involved months of planning with teams across the trust, working together to get these fantastic results. The colleagues at the centre of it all include Occupational Health, Communications Team, Clinical Education Team, Matrons and leads from across divisions including medicine, surgery, facilities and community. Find out more on the trust website.

Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust first in the NHS to pilot new rapid urine testing system

Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust has become the first in the country to pilot a groundbreaking rapid urine testing system that can detect UTIs and recommend antibiotics in under an hour.

The Sysmex PA-100, now being trialled at Dewsbury and Pinderfields emergency departments, has the potential to reduce waiting times, support quicker treatment decisions and help avoid unnecessary admissions. Find out more on the trust website.

Wellbeing in bloom: new staff and patient RHS garden opens at St James’s University Hospital

A tranquil new wellbeing garden has opened at St James’s University Hospital, created by The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and designed by well-known British award-winning garden designer and RHS Ambassador, Adam Frost.

The first project of its kind in the region, The White Rose Wellbeing Garden will provide a restorative space to relax and reflect for those working in or visiting the hospital. Read more on the trust website.

West Yorkshire pilots ‘digital twin’ for kidney disease

West Yorkshire is piloting a population health ‘digital twin’ for chronic kidney disease to help spot the condition earlier and trial interventions.

The region was chosen by the Digital Twin Consortium as one of eight global digital twin testbeds for the project, which aims to improve patient outcomes, and ease NHS pressures – with the potential to scale nationwide.

The pilot is being run in partnership between Health Innovation Network Yorkshire and Humber, Nexus, the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and Kidney Research UK. Find out more.

New West Yorkshire hypertension guideline launched to save lives and reduce inequalities

More than 320 healthcare professionals came together this week to launch the new West Yorkshire hypertension guideline.

The new guidance introduces an aspirational blood pressure target of less than 130/80 mmHg after diagnosis supported by the 2024 European Society of Cardiology recommendations. It also encourages earlier use of dual low-dose therapy, which is proven to be more effective than increasing doses.

The guideline was co-produced by more than 350 stakeholders across West Yorkshire, including GPs, pharmacists, cardiologists and patient groups. Find out more on the Partnership website.