Community 1st Celebrates 25 Years of the NHS LIFT programme’s impact on neighbourhood health
Community 1st joined partners from across the health sector in celebrating the 25th anniversary of the NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) programme, which has delivered more than 350 neighbourhood health facilities across England since 2001. A hugely successful long term PPP model that has, and continues to, make huge impact in each of the 49 local LIFT partnership areas.
Representatives from government, the NHS and private sector partners came together at the House of Lords in Westminster to recognise the significant contribution NHS LIFT has made to improving healthcare infrastructure and access to services in local communities over the past quarter of a century.
The programme has secured over £2.5 billion of private investment to deliver modern healthcare facilities, with nine out of ten LIFT buildings located in areas with above-average health needs. Today, these centres continue to serve millions of patients, providing high-quality, accessible healthcare closer to home.
The anniversary event also marked the publication of a new report, The Past, Present and Future of LIFT, which highlights the programme’s achievements and its continuing role in supporting neighbourhood healthcare. As the NHS continues its shift towards prevention, community-based care and earlier intervention, LIFT buildings are increasingly being adapted to accommodate expanded diagnostic, screening and wellbeing services. You can view the report here
Speaking at the LIFT 25th anniversary event:
Lord Bradley said: “Throughout my many years in politics and healthcare, it is rare to find a piece of public policy that continues to resonate long after it was first created, but the NHS LIFT programme does exactly that. LIFT has not only delivered vital health facilities for millions of patients over the last 25 years, it is also a programme that will continue to have a lasting impact long into the next chapter of the NHS. As we now look to the health ambitions of the future, LIFT offers an important springboard for success and a firm foundation for the next 25 years of neighbourhood health.”
Former Health Secretary Alan Johnson said: “NHS LIFT has been a huge success story that has gone by largely unnoticed, but it has transformed health care across the country. As we mark the 25th anniversary of LIFT, the Department of Health can look back on LIFT as the right thing to do but so too can Treasury – for £100m of public money we got £2.5bn of private investment in vital health facilities. It has been a hugely successful public-private-partnership and an important foundation to keep delivering the best NHS care for those that need it most.”
As a LIFT partner, Community 1st is proud to be part of this long-standing success story, supporting our NHS partners in Oldham, Sheffield and Cornwall.
Jon Keegan, General Manager of Community 1st Oldham and Sheffield said ‘We’re proud of what has been achieved over the last 25 years and look forward to continuing to support our NHS partners and local communities in the years ahead.’
The LIFT Council media release can be viewed here
