North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust sets out levelling up priorities in new report

NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST HAS LAUNCHED A NEW REPORT THAT OUTLINES ITS SOCIAL IMPACT AGAINST AN INNOVATIVE SET OF LEVELLING UP MEASURES.

The Levelling Up Impact Report measures North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust’s activity against the Purpose Goals - a framework designed to focus efforts on driving equality of opportunity at key life stages.

The report highlights a number of key strengths which see the Trust leading the way on the levelling up agenda and spreading opportunity. These include:

Strong Foundations in Early Years - Improving maternity services has been a priority for the Trust, following the publication of the Ockenden report in 2020. A great deal of work is going into implementing and meeting the milestones of both the Ockenden report and Better Births policy, to ensure everyone in its area is given the best possible start in life.

Fair career progression - A 12-month preceptorship programme is open to all newly qualified nurses and has recently expanded to accommodate international nurses.

Good health and wellbeing - The Trust has an established wellbeing service in place for its own staff and recently obtained Gold Standard in the Better Health at Work Award.

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust plays a vital role in the Purpose Health Coalition alongside other NHS Trusts aiming to set a new and higher standard on boosting social mobility in the UK.

Lyn Simpson, Chief Executive at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust said: ““Alongside caring for our patients across north Cumbria, we also have a commitment to the health of our community as one of the largest employers in the area. Our region is a contrast of wealth sitting alongside deprivation and a real mix of urban and rural life. We are delighted to commit to the Purpose Goals and we see this as an important first step.

“One of the aspects we have put a lot of work into is offering recruitment opportunities to local people who would like to pursue a career in the NHS but do not have the qualifications they might need for the role. One of our programmes is called ‘Step into Work’ which is a pre-employment programme designed to help people gain real work experience to pursue a career in health. We are currently open to applications for the next programme which starts in January 2023.

“We welcome the Purpose Health Coalition’s recommendations which will now help us to identify areas where we can make even more of an impact on the lives of people in north Cumbria.”

Rt Hon Anne Milton, Former Minister for Skills and Apprenticeships and Chair of Purpose Health Coalition added: “As the country faces increasing cost of living pressures, the role of a responsible organisation has never been more important. During the pandemic, NHS organisations demonstrated very clearly the crucial part they play in the health and wellbeing of their staff, their patients and their communities. Many are now developing imaginative schemes to make sure that local people can take up the wide range of on the ground employment opportunities that NHS organisations offer.

“North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust is already actively looking at how it can improve the health of those in its community in its widest sense, against a backdrop of increasing health inequality. I’m delighted to share this Levelling Up Impact Report which looks at what they are doing at the moment and how that might be extended even further to level up its communities.”