Health Leaders Sign Landmark Pledge To Improve Social Values in Cheshire and Merseyside

Organisations across the sub-region are being encouraged to join NHS Cheshire and Merseyside after its leaders publicly signed a pledge to become an ‘anchor institute’, setting out their aim to improve social values in the NHS.

At the event, held on Tuesday, Raj Jain, Chair of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside and Graham Urwin, Chief Executive, committed their new organisation to the five nationally recognised pillars to being an anchor institute.

The five pillars are:

• Purchasing locally and for social benefit;
• Using buildings and spaces to support communities;
• Widening access to quality work;
• Working more closely with local partners;
• Reducing environmental impact.

Anchor institutions are typically non-for-profit or public sector organisations whose long-term sustainability is tied to the wellbeing of the populations they serve.

As a part of developing the Cheshire and Merseyside framework, people were asked what are the values and behaviours that they would want an organisation that they worked for to espouse. Putting all this together, a set of principles and priorities have been developed, and NHS Cheshire and Merseyside is now asking for other organisations to sign-up to these values, adopting them as part of their culture.

It is hoped that other NHS organisations, local authorities and non-for-profit organisations will also sign the Cheshire and Merseyside pledge, making them an anchor institution, bringing a fairer, more equal platform for people to live and work in.

Raj Jain said: “The anchor launch event is an exciting opportunity for us to act on our commitment to reducing health inequalities and put out communities at the heart of all that we do.

“We need everyone to take personal responsibility for ensuring that we become champions for this agenda and deliver fairer outcomes for all. We are proud that NHS Cheshire and Merseyside is the first signatory to this Anchor Institute Charter that will go a long way to delivering this.”