Putting health at the heart of your local economy

The new government is now focused on its central mission of economic growth. A key part of delivering this is the Local Growth Agenda – stimulating local economic development and rebalancing the UK economy at large. 

Health has a big part to play and it is vital that NHS leaders understand this new framework and their role in it. Acute NHS Trusts should be at the heart of this new era of government and growth.  

Our vision is a scenario in which NHS Trusts are central to boosting productivity, addressing inequalities, spreading opportunity, and restoring pride to local areas. This webinar, the first in a new series, looks at the local growth agenda, the role of acute trusts, and how they can influence local leaders.

The series is being led by Michael Wood, head of Health Economic Partnerships. Michael advises NHS leaders nationally and locally on policy, strategy, partnerships and funding relating to the local economy, including in areas such as skills and workforce, estates, innovation, population health and finance. 

Special guests

For the first session Michael Wood will be joined the following guest speakers:

• Kathryn Lavery is chair at Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH) on 1 December 2022. Kathryn, previous chair for Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, has a wealth of knowledge and experience. She was first appointed to an NHS board in 1998 and since then has also served as the chair of West Hull Primary Care Trust and NHS Hull. As well as her post as chair of RDaSH, she is currently the audit chair at Locala (a CIC in West Yorkshire) delivering community and social care services, and the chair of the advisory board at Space2BHeard, a CIC in Hull which delivers talking therapies.
• Peter O'Brien leads the Yorkshire Universities’ (YU) Executive Team. With over two decades’ experience, as both a senior practitioner and academic, Peter has driven YU’s increasing and influential policy engagement and activity in Yorkshire. He has worked extensively at a senior level across the north of England, and he has published widely on a range of matters relating to local and regional development. Peter is a commissioner on the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission, and he also represents YU and the higher education sector on many high-level regional groups and committees.
• Mark Rogers is chief executive of the Leadership Centre. He has extensive leadership experience across education, children’s services, local and national government. As a teacher and head teacher, Mark worked in a variety of special schools between 1985 and 2000. He joined local government in 2001, working in inclusion services, becoming a director of children’s services (Solihull MBC 2006-09) and twice a chief executive (Solihull MBC 2007-14 and Birmingham City Council 2014-17). Following a period of consultancy work with CollaborateCIC and KPMG, in May 2018 Mark became director general for Children, Young People, Education and Skills for the Government of Jersey.

Health Economic Partnerships Series

You will be automatically signed up to the full series of webinars, but you can of course choose which you would like to attend according to your interests or the needs of your organisation. 

The series:

• ‘Putting health at the heart of your local economy’ - Wednesday 26 February 2025, 2-3:30pm (90 mins)  
• ‘Your role in an anchor system’ - Wednesday 26 March 2025, 2-3pm (60 mins)
• ‘Reimagining how we work with our universities, colleges and schools’ - Wednesday 23 April 2025, 2-3pm (60 mins) 
• ‘What devolution means for the NHS’ - Wednesday 28 May 2025, 2-3pm (60 mins)
• ‘Embedding health on the high street’ - Wednesday 25 June 2025, 2-3pm (60 mins) 
• ‘Quantifying the economic impact of the NHS and maximising our social value’ - Wednesday 23 July 2025, 2-3pm (60 mins)

For NHS Confederation members, all six webinars are free to attend. For non-members, you are welcome to join the first three sessions, with the last three being member-only. If you would like more information on becoming a member of the NHS Confederation please contact us here or reach out to our Acute Network director Rory Deighton for an informal conversation.

Audience

The sessions are primarily open to those at director level and above, including non-executive directors, and particularly chairs and chief executives. 

We are happy to be flexible on wider participation if the session fits closely with your work area.