Golden opportunity for Government to harness strengths of NHS LIFT programme

On the 20th anniversary of the NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) programme, partners have called on the Government to harness the huge strengths of the LIFT model to tackle the healthcare challenges ahead and secure the future of the LIFT programme to continue supporting the NHS and local communities across England.

The LIFT Council, the representative body for NHS LIFTCos in England, has today published the Five-Year Forward View for the LIFT programme, which outlines its strategic priorities from the Government and health service leaders, including the crucial end of term period.

These priorities are:

1. A clear expression of support for the future of LIFT.

2. A role for third-party providers from the LIFT estate in developing Cavell Centre pilots.

3. Use of the NHS LIFT model to support activities in health care infrastructure, such as the 40 new hospitals programme.

4. Use of the NHS LIFT model as a key tool to create Integrated Care Systems (ICS) through the Health and Social Care Bill.

5. Effective local public sector partnerships with the creation of Integrated Care Systems.

The Five-Year Forward View also details how the LIFT model is more than just a delivery vehicle with the expertise of the 49 LIFTCos across England able to play an important role in supporting our NHS across a variety of areas. These include: integrating services, infrastructure planning, the post-pandemic recovery and enabling the move to net zero.

Writing in the foreword for the NHS LIFT Five-Year Forward View, The Rt Hon Alan Johnson, former Health Secretary and Chair of the Citycare LIFTCo said:

‘LIFT is the most successful public infrastructure project that most have never heard of, but its achievements are there for all to see: over 350 high-quality, flexible primary and community care facilities delivered, with nine out of ten of these being in areas of above average health needs. One of the founding promises of the NHS was a health centre in every community. 73 years later, the NHS LIFT programme has helped carry us towards that goal.’

In addition, Sarah Beaumont-Smith, Chair of The LIFT Council said:

‘After two successful decades of supporting the NHS and local communities, the end of LIFT’s 25-year team is approaching in a number of areas, but we see this as a beginning not an end - The LIFT Council members are clear in our commitment to continue working with our public sector partners, in contrary to the cut and run charge that is all too often laid at the door of third-party providers. We are excited by the opportunities presented by the Cavell Centre pioneers, which will build on the successes of the LIFT estate and hope to play a role in the next wave of delivering primary and community care.’

Read the full NHS LIFT Five-Year Forward View here:

NHS LIFT Five-Year Forward View

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PM praises ‘major benefits’ of NHS LIFT Programme as part of twentieth anniversary celebrations

The Prime Minister hails the work of the NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) programme in modernising primary and community care estates.

The Prime Minister, The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, has praised the achievements of the NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) Programme as it celebrates its twentieth anniversary.

Established in 2001, the NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (NHS LIFT) programme has helped the private and public sectors work in partnership to deliver quality Primary healthcare and community facilities throughout England. LIFT buildings are delivered by LIFT Companies (LIFTCos) where private investors work in partnership with Community Health Partnerships - the Government-owned company that holds a 40% stake in the growth and upkeep of these important NHS assets.

As the LIFT programme celebrates its twentieth anniversary The LIFT Council (the representative body for LIFT companies (LIFTCOs) in England) launched its #NHSLIFT20 campaign earlier this month to celebrate this milestone.

Writing to LIFT Council members following the announcement of the #NHSLIFT20 last week, the Prime Minister said:

‘I appreciate all the major benefits the NHS LIFT initiative and LIFT companies involved have brought to improving and modernising local primary and community health facilities in the NHS. Congratulations to all working on the NHS LIFT Programme on reaching this significant milestone.’

Responding to the Prime Minister’s praise of the NHS LIFT programme, The LIFT Council Chair Sarah Beaumont-Smith said:

“We are hugely grateful for the Prime Minister’s support for the NHS LIFT Programme and the welcome recognition of how much has been achieved by the public and private sectors working together to deliver quality community health facilities. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, the Prime Minister’s words give us huge momentum as LIFT buildings continue to play a vital role in the current and future healthcare challenges we face.”

Healthcare sector celebrates 20 years of the NHS LIFT Programme

Private and public sectors unite to mark 20 years of delivering quality community healthcare.

A range of activities have been announced today by The LIFT Council and CHP to help celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the NHS LIFT programme that has been instrumental in provide high quality estate to delivering healthcare in communities across England for the past two decades. Established in 2001, the NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (NHS LIFT) programme has helped the private and public sectors work in partnership to deliver quality Primary healthcare and community facilities throughout England. LIFT buildings are delivered by LIFT Companies (LIFTCos) where private investors work in partnership with Community Health Partnerships - the Government-owned company that holds a 40% stake in the growth and upkeep of these important NHS assets.

Through this close partnership working over the last 20 years, the NHS LIFT programme has delivered:

• 350 new healthcare buildings across England

• Significant healthcare benefits to some of the most deprived communities with nearly 9 in every 10 LIFT buildings being in areas with above average health needs - £2.5bn raised for capital development for just £100m of taxpayers’ money

• More than 30,000 jobs created.

To help celebrate the huge achievements of the NHS LIFT Programme so far, and to look ahead at how LIFT can continue to support the NHS in the healthcare challenges ahead, The LIFT Council (the representative body of NHS LIFTCos) and Community Health Partnerships (CHP) today announced a series of initiatives and activities to mark the 20th anniversary including:

• A new logo and slogan of ’Enabling in-community care for 20 years’ to celebrate the work LIFTCos have done to support the NHS over two decades and a sign of our commitment to supporting the Health Service for another 20 years.

• The LIFT Council will hosting a virtual event on Wednesday 14 July. During this event, we will celebrate the faces of NHS LIFT over the last two decades and set out a vision for the future of the programme. Further details and participants will be announced in due course.

• We will also be highlighting the different faces of LIFT by picking out 20 examples from across England that epitomise the commitment to quality NHS estates that our work embodies and setting out how we have been enabling NHS care, especially over the last trying year.
  

Commenting on the twentieth anniversary of the NHS LIFT programme, Chair of The LIFT Council Sarah Beaumont-Smith said:

“For 20 years the LIFT programme has shown the huge value of the public and private sectors working together to support the NHS and deliver quality community healthcare, none more so than over the past 12 months when LIFT buildings around the country have played a vital role in the fightback against COVID-19. The 20th anniversary is chance to celebrate how much the NHS LIFT Programme has achieved so far but, more importantly, to look ahead at the vital role LIFT buildings can continue to play in the healthcare challenges we face. I look forward to joining our partners and colleagues from across the healthcare sector to celebrate this important milestone.”

In addition, former Health Secretary and Independent Chair of the Citycare and Shared Agenda LIFTCO Alan Johnson said:

“When we set out on this pioneering journey twenty years ago, it was to improve a primary care estate where single-handed GP practices were often situated in inadequate terraced housing, built long before the NHS was created. By forming long-term relationships between the public and private sectors, we were able to provide thirteen state-of-the-art Health Centres in Hull, all maintained in Day One condition as a crucial community resource. These are part of the 350 new healthcare buildings delivered as testament to this partnership model, and the vision and dedication of LIFTCos across the country. For me, this is about much more than bricks-and-mortar; by allowing GP practices to combine and cooperate under one roof with previously centralised aspects of healthcare devolved to local communities, they are helping to provide the best care to the people who need it most. As an MP in Hull, I saw first-hand the beneficial impact these facilities had on redevelopment in the city. And now, as Chair of Citycare, I know how crucial this partnership still is in providing healthcare facilities fit for the 21st Century.”

Community Health Partnerships Chief Executive Officer Dr Sue O’Connell said:

“The strength of the NHS LIFT Programme is in its unrelenting focus on partnership. I am proud to say that through collaboration our work has delivered on its core purpose, to enable the integration of services and delivery of excellent care. The community-based NHS estate is an important enabler of care delivery and continues to support the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan. Through LIFT, in partnership with the NHS and private sector partners, we have delivered significant investment in areas of high health need. This is something to be celebrated.”

Further details of The LIFT Council and CHP’s plans to mark twenty years of LIFT will be shared shortly, including on social media with #NHSLIFT20 or follow us on Twitter @NHSLIFT.