A windfall of £450,000 to support practical and innovative ways to help patients improve health services has been announced.
The Building Health Partnerships programme has been awarded the money from NHS England and the National Lottery – through the Big Lottery Fund.
The funding will provide tailored support for co-production to 10 areas, helping to more easily involve patients and carers in designing the services they use.
The funding will also support leadership training and develop a ‘champions’ network’ where community representatives and commissioners can share the best ways to ensure communities and patients are at the heart of Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships’ (STP) and Integrated Care Systems’ (ICS) plans.
The 10 areas receiving the support will take part across two cohorts, and the first five STP/ICS areas will be:
- Frimley Health and Care
- Healthier Lancashire and South Cumbria
- North Cumbria
- Nottingham and Nottinghamshire
- West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership
These STPs will bring local groups and key decision makers together to put patients at the heart of decision-making, being supported by a series of externally facilitated sessions.