A new senior health leadership role is set to be introduced in Greater Manchester as part of a government drive to tackle health inequalities and improve outcomes across the region.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced the creation of a new NHS Integrated Care Board Chair for Greater Manchester, who will also take on the role of the Mayor’s Health Commissioner.
The position will report jointly to NHS leadership and local mayors, with a clear focus on delivering improvements to public health. The role is designed to strengthen accountability by linking health services more directly to democratically elected leaders.
The initiative forms part of wider government plans to address disparities in healthcare, end the so-called postcode lottery, and narrow health inequality gaps both within regions and across the country.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham welcomed the move, describing it as a significant step forward in the region’s long-running programme of health devolution.
“This is a landmark moment in a decade-long journey of health devolution in Greater Manchester. We’ve built a strong model of partnership working across the NHS, local government, our voluntary and faith sectors, and community partners – all focused on improving health for our residents.
“The Secretary of State has recognised those efforts, and we thank him for the action he is taking today.
“A study published in The Lancet in 2022 found that, following the devolution of health and care, healthy life expectancy rose faster in Greater Manchester than other areas before the pandemic.
“Now we have the potential to get back on track and go even further, creating the right conditions for everyone to live healthier lives. A Health Commissioner will help us pioneer a radical new way of delivering public services that’s better for our communities and better for the public purse.
“We’re working with Government on making Greater Manchester the blueprint for prevention. For too long our public services have been trapped in short-term cycles of costly crisis intervention. We want to show that investing in early help is a more effective way of spending public money – providing support to improve people’s lives and prevent them falling into crisis in the first place.”
The trial will see Greater Manchester act as a test-bed for this new model of integrated leadership, with the potential for similar roles to be rolled out in other regions if successful.
