NHS LIFT Programme - 25 years of supporting the delivery of neighbourhood health

Key partners across the health sector are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the NHS LIFT programme this year - a public-private-partnership programme that has delivered quality neighbourhood health facilities across England for the last 25 years. This has been a vital programme that has delivered 350 quality neighbourhood health facilities since 2001.

gbp group is delighted to join in the celebrations - with our roots deeply embedded in the LIFT programme, we also celebrate 25 years in business this year. gbp is the largest Managed Services Agreement provider in the NHS LIFT sector in England, providing management services to 14 LIFT companies, and a portfolio of over 85 health care centres, community hospitals, mental health facilities and schools, worth in excess of £1bn.

Established in 2001, with public infrastructure in need of radical investment, the NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (NHS LIFT) brought together the private and public sectors to deliver quality Primary healthcare and community facilities via long term joint venture investment partnerships. LIFT buildings are delivered by private investors (who design, build, finance and operate these assets, taking all building performance risk) working in partnership with Community Healthcare Partnerships (CHP) - the Government owned company that holds a 40% stake in these NHS assets and who operates as the local head tenant.

Having secured £2.5 billion of private investment, for just £100m of public money, NHS LIFT is one of the most successful PPP models to-date. The NHS LIFT Programme has delivered 350 new healthcare buildings across England, with 9 in every 10 LIFT buildings being in areas with above average health needs, delivering vital facilities to those that need them most. Due to the building performance risk being transferred to the private sector, LIFT buildings do not have the backlog maintenance challenges of other NHS-owned estate and have been independently reviewed to demonstrate value for money against traditional NHS estate and commercial lease arrangements.

As a result, the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan published last year set out that plans for hundreds of new neighbourhood health centres would “build on the successful NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust programme”. The existing NHS LIFT estate is also already playing a key role in supporting the delivery of neighbourhood health and the Government’s plans for ‘three big shifts’ across the NHS: From hospital to community:

• The existing NHS LIFT estate offers an important springboard for Government plans to move more health services closer to the community - the 350 health centres delivered under LIFT are already located in the heart of the community, with the majority in areas with above average health needs

• The LIFT estate also continues to be adapted to relocate more services out of major hospitals – a recent example is the Accrington Acorn Primary Care Centre, where following the closure of Accrington Victoria Hospital, a range of displaced services including the Minor Injuries Unit were relocated into a community setting

• As a result of LIFT’s key role in the community, the first wave of 27 new neighbourhood health centres announced by Government earlier this year include plans to upgrade 11 existing NHS LIFT facilities, ensuring the LIFT estate is already at the heart of future neighbourhood health provision

From sickness to prevention:

• Over the last 25 years, a number of LIFT buildings have been adapted and updated to bring key screening and diagnostic services into a neighbourhood setting, allowing local communities to access vital preventative health services much closer to home, and helping to ease the strain on major hospitals and the acute sector

• A number of NHS LIFT buildings already serve as Community Diagnostic Centres, while other parts of the LIFT estate have been adapted and updated to offer key preventative services such as cancer screening; X-ray, CT and MRI scanning; phlebotomy, cardiology and respiratory tests; and mental health provision.

From analogue to digital:

• As modern, flexible buildings, the LIFT estate is well-positioned to incorporate new technologies to support the planned shift towards integrated, digital-first NHS systems. Examples include the Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre in Hull, where existing space has been adapted to become a digital consultation room, offering NHS staff a dedicated space to manage virtual appointments, and to also use AI tools to support consultations

• At Marfleet Health Centre in Hull, the LIFT partners created a digital model of the building, to help test out ideas and create a decarbonisation plan – the project led to tangible sustainability improvements to the building, with the initiative now being rolled out to other health centres

• With many LIFT buildings offering a ‘one stop shop’ of integrated health and public sector services, the LIFT estate is well-positioned to offer local residents digital tools to support a wide range of needs – as an example, The Reginald Centre in Leeds offers a ‘digital hub’ to allow patients and local residents to book appointments online, manage their benefits, and access support and training to help them become more digitally savvy

To help celebrate the achievements of the successful NHS LIFT Programme so far, and the key role it can continue to play in a neighbourhood health service of the future, a series of activities will take place later this year to mark the 25th anniversary. Activities will be led by The LIFT Council (the membership body for private investors in the LIFT Programme) and Community Health Partnerships and will include:

• A new LIFT Council logo and slogan of ‘Supporting neighbourhood health for 25 years’ to celebrate the work the LIFT estate in serving at the frontline of neighbourhood health since 2001

• A series of local events to celebrate the role of LIFT buildings as vital community hubs, offering chance to recognise the NHS staff, local organisations and community partners that have helped to make the LIFT programme a success

• In the Autumn, The LIFT Council will host a Westminster reception for political, industry and community partners, offering chance to showcase what has been achieved by the LIFT Programme; the positive impact of this investment model; and the ‘lessons learned’ that could help shape future neighbourhood health plans and policies to support investment in public infrastructure.

Chair of The LIFT Council Sarah Beaumont-Smith said:

“NHS LIFT has supported the delivery of neighbourhood health for 25 years and offers a vital building block as we now look to deliver a neighbourhood health service fit for the future. At the heart of LIFT’s success has been partnership working between the private and public sectors - as the Government and NHS now look to new partnership models in health delivery, the experiences and lessons learned from NHS LIFT will be crucial in shaping the next wave of neighbourhood health services.

“As we look back on 25 years of the NHS LIFT programme, I look forward to joining partners from across the healthcare sector to celebrate this important milestone, and to look ahead to the vital role the LIFT estate can continue to play in future.”

Wendy Farrington- Chadd, CEO Community Health Partnerships, said:

“Community Health Partnerships (CHP) is proud to play its part in the success of the NHS LIFT programme, working together with NHS organisations and private sector partners to invest in facilities that support local communities. This anniversary is not only a chance to celebrate what has been achieved, but also to recognise the lasting value of long-term partnership in delivering high quality healthcare infrastructure. As the NHS continues its shift towards neighbourhood health, CHP remains committed to ensuring the LIFT estate continues to support local services, patients and communities for the future."

Read more about the LIFT Council: https://www.theliftcouncil.co.uk/