Purpose

Brief Description

The decision is to establish, in principle, the Leeds Provider Partnership, subject to agreement of the Terms of Reference and Collaboration Agreement and detail, to be operational from April 2027. The Leeds Provider Partnership Joint Committee will operate in shadow form from May 2026 to at least 31st March 2027, and will continue to develop through that period. This committee is being established under NHS powers; Leeds City Council will be a member, with the Chief Executive as LCC’s officer representative.

The aim of the LPP is to further strengthen collaborative working across the health and care system in Leeds, in the context of the policy shift in the 10 Year Health Plan. Specifically, the LPP aims to enable a more coordinated “Team Leeds” approach - streamlining governance, maximising the use of collective resources, and supporting more integrated, preventative and person-centred care.

Impact On Wards

The impact of the LPP will be city-wide. By working in a more integrated way, the health and care system should have greater impact on addressing health inequalities and the things that matter to people in their experiences of health and care services.

Financial and procurement implications

Through the existing Leeds Committee of the WYICB and our Leeds Health and Care Partnership Memorandum of Understanding, all partners already have a voice in the collective spend of the NHS's £1.9bn resource. Work is underway within the West Yorkshire ICB regarding how it proposes to transfer responsibilities and budgetary management to place Provider Partnerships via contractual mechanisms from a point in 2027/28.

Given that the development of neighbourhood health is going to require places to drive transformation through changes in financial flows and contractual models, it is proposed that a future Joint Committee holds, in shadow form at first, responsibility for the following budget areas: Leeds Community Healthcare Trust and community spend; community beds; Leeds and York Partnership Foundation Trust and mental health spend; all GP spending (excluding General Medical Services (GMS) contract, and Medicines Management.

A further implication relates to neighbourhood health approaches: looking at how we work and position resources across the interface between acute care and primary/community and social care. The in-hospital/out of hospital interface is critical to success, with longer-term ambitions for funding flow changes as the LPP strengthens, facilitating neighbourhood development to mature.

Partnership working

The decision is being taken by all statutory partners involved in the Leeds Health and Care Provider Partnership: NHS Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, NHS Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, Leeds and York Partnerships Foundation NHS Trust and Leeds City Council.

GPs and the third sector will also be represented at the LPP.