Last Updated: 2024-01-17 10:17:47
Fairer Health for All
GM Health Anchor System
GM Health Anchor System Anchor partnerships and networks include large public sector and VCFSE organisations which are rooted in place and connected to their communities, such as universities, local authorities, VCFSE infrastructure organisations and hospitals. Together, these Anchor partnerships have significant assets and spending power and can consciously use these resources to benefit communities and reduce health inequalities. What makes the NHS an anchor institution? NHS organisations are rooted in their local communities. Through its size and scale, the NHS can positively contribute to local areas in many ways beyond providing health and care. The NHS can make a difference to local people by:
Purchasing more locally and for social benefit
In England alone, the NHS spends £27bn every year on goods and services.
Using buildings and spaces to support communities
The NHS occupies 8,253 sites across England on 6,500 hectares of land.
Reducing its environmental impact
The NHS is responsible for 40% of the public sector’s carbon footprint.
Widening access to quality work
The NHS is the UK’s biggest employer, with 1.6 million staff.
Working more closely with local partners
The NHS can learn from others, spread good ideas and model civic responsibility.
Developing the Anchor System
As an anchor institution, the NHS influences the health and wellbeing of communities simply by being there. But by choosing to invest in and work with others locally and responsibly, the NHS can have an even greater impact on the wider factors that make us healthy. See below for more information on how we're developing the Anchor System, creating good employment that prioritises health and wellbeing and the social value framework.
Unlocking the potential of an Anchors System
The Health Foundation describes anchor institutions as large organisations whose long-term sustainability is tied to the wellbeing of the populations they serve. This agenda is also linked to the ‘fourth purpose’ of ICSs, unlocking the NHS’s social and economic potential.
These anchor organisations are ‘rooted in place’ and have significant assets and resources which can be used to influence the health and wellbeing of their local community. By strategically and intentionally managing their resources and operations, anchor institutions can help address local social, economic and environmental priorities in order to reduce health inequalities.
In Greater Manchester, we will move from an institutional perspective to one more akin to a social movement. The next stage of our journey will be to develop a more strategic and aligned focus on what it is the ICS wants to change, developed in partnership with the range of other anchors in the system, all pulling and participating in the same strategic direction for the economy.
This work will be developed by a GM NHS Anchors Network with representation from each trust as well as each locality. Agreed short term priorities for the GM Anchors Network include:
• Develop and implement vision, strategy and targets
• Develop and implement local supply chain opportunities
• Develop and implement collaborative approaches to the development of effective local employment pathways
You may want to take part in the HALN learning networks with more information found as below.
Learning sets — Health Anchors Learning Network (haln.org.uk)
Unlocking the NHS’s social and economic potential | NHS Confederation
Working with employers on employee wellbeing through the GM Good Employment Charter
The Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter aims to develop diverse, equal and truly inclusive working conditions across Greater Manchester. By promoting the benefits of equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, we aim to support employers to create workplaces that embrace the characteristics of good employment in ways that ensure fair pay, opportunity and progression to all. This will include adoption of the Real Living Wage (RLW)
This action applies to all Greater Manchester employers, in partnership with GMCA, but also includes health and care organisations. Our key actions in this area are set out in the Supporting our Workforce and Carers Mission.
A number of Health and Care organisations are currently in the process of applying for charter status. The first full member of the Charter in Health and Care was Hawkley Brook Medical Practice in the Wigan Locality. The Mayor handed over the award at a recent People and Culture conference for GM.
More details on the charter and how to apply can be found here: Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
Implementing the Greater Manchester Social Value Framework
The GM Social Value Framework sets out how our city region will deliver social value through commissioning and procurement activities. It sets out the outcomes that GM is collectively working on to make an impact through the policy, including supporting more people into work; a reduction in poverty and health inequalities; and avoiding acute problems by investing in prevention.
Our key actions as NHS GM:
- Embedding Procurement Policy Note 06/20 (taking account of social value in the award of central government contracts) into business-as-usual activity
- NHS GM Integrated Care and Provider Trusts formally adopt GMCA approach to lever more social value from public sector spending
- Agree and embed standard social value evaluation questions with model answers for procurements
- Implement standard approach to measurement and reporting on social value delivered:
- Evaluate the impact of a 20% (or higher) social value weighting for procurements
- Identify relevant categories and/or contracts for local supply chain development
Free online training is available:
Case Studies
