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UCLPartners and NHS England London launch Anchor Strategy and Change Network

9 December 2021
UCLPartners and NHS England London have launched an Anchor Strategy and Change Network, part of a package of initiatives to support NHS organisations in London to maximise their economic and social impact in local communities.

Anchor institutions are typically large-scale, non-profit organisations whose long-term sustainability is tied to the wellbeing of the population they serve. The NHS is a prime example of an Anchor institution as the impact it has on the population’s health extends well beyond its role as provider of healthcare services.

By purposefully aligning how the NHS employs staff, purchases goods, manages estates, uses physical resources and engages with local communities as an anchor institution, the NHS can tackle the underlying drivers of poor health and health inequalities.

The Anchor Strategy and Change Network is an informal peer network for NHS strategy and policy leads in London, co-chaired by NHS London and UCLPartners. The network will meet regularly to discuss specific change-related themes and issues. Speakers will come from across the public and private sectors, reflecting interesting examples of change leadership in practice and enabling discussions about their applicability and implementation across London.

Dr Dominique Allwood, Director of Improvement and Partnerships at UCLPartners said: “Leading change is complex, time-consuming and demanding – particularly when balancing the immediate operational demands of the day job. Organisations face many challenges in developing, leading, delivering and partnering on institutional, borough and system-wide anchor programmes. This network has been designed to support policy and strategy leads across London to embed impactful change.”

Michael Wood, Anchor Strategy Advisor for NHS London said: “COVID has shone a spotlight on the need to better understand and engage communities. We know that top-down policy often doesn’t have the nuance to provide lasting solutions to many of our problems, nor does it inspire us to get out and co-create local improvements in population health.

“This network will provide the space for policy and strategy leads to share challenges and solutions and draw on the experiences of speakers from a range of public and private organisations, based within and outside London.”

More information about the NHS London Anchor Network can be found on the FutureNHS platform. Register and join the conversation: https://future.nhs.uk/connect.ti/NHSLondonAnchorsNetwork/grouphome