On Tuesday 15 November, LSHP welcomed Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor for Liverpool City Region, to an event hosted at the iconic Kensington Neighbourhood Health Centre.
Chaired by Gideon Ben-Tovim, the event considered how we can work together to best utilise the existing primary and community care estate across Liverpool to support the NHS and Local Authorities to deliver improved health outcomes for local communities.
Steve Rotherham delivered an inspiring keynote speech followed by Andy Muir, Community Health Partnerships Regional Director and Gary Naylor, gbpartnerships Managing Director. Andy reflected on the long an successful partnerships that have been nurtured across Liverpool through the LIFT Programme, and how at a time of significant pressures on the NHS, moving selected services out of hospital settings and into community-based Primary Care facilities such as Kensington Neighbourhood Health Centre offers clear advantages, both in alleviating the strain on major hospitals and the acute sector and in allowing local residents to access important health and social care on their doorstep. Gary spoke about LSHP’s long history of making a significant contribution to supporting communities in the local area and integrating their services into the estate, commenting:
“We are probably in one of the best examples of cultivating strong community interfaces and this forms part of how we bring even more of these community services in moving forward.”
Incoming LSHP Chair, Dave Sweeney, Director of Partnerships at NHS Cheshire, and Merseyside, hosted a lively panel discussion with Michele McGee, Associate Director of Estates and Facilities at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, Ian Tayler, BBGI / LSHP Board member and Samantha McCumiskey, gbpartnerships Director joining Steve, Gideon, and Andy on the panel.
Given the current significant challenges we are facing across the UK, particularly in communities like Kensington, the event provided a timely reminder of the issues and how rapid change can be delivered, as was shown through the pandemic. The meeting ended with a shared commitment to focus on maintaining the level of urgency to drive change.
Sea Cadets were also represented at the event. The charity was supported by LSHP with funding for the ‘On The Water’ programme over the summer, which provided fully funded opportunities for young people from under-privileged backgrounds to take part in a series of water-based activities.
Photos produced by a Photography Club based at Kensington Health Centre were also on display. The Club is run by photography facilitators, Open Eye Gallery, and attended by volunteers from Community Integrated Care's Inclusive Volunteering Programme, each supported by a support worker/ carer to ensure they are best supported for their individual learning or disability needs. With plans for their works to be displayed at public events, including the Word Gymnastics Championship.
On behalf of LSHP, we’d like to thank everyone joined us at the event, the speakers, and panellists. Also, thanks to the event sponsors, Integral.
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