A new NHS leader in our region wants to "rewrite history" and to see Newcastle, Gateshead and the rest of the North East and Cumbria become "the place people from across the world come to see how we're transforming healthcare".
Samantha Allen is the new chief exec of the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB). She's set out her vision for a collaborative health and care sector, and one which includes "assets in our communities" - especially charities such as Children North East based in Newcastle's West End - to tackle huge public health challenges.
Ms Allen took the job at the ICS earlier this year, but it only took on its full legal responsibilities on July 1. She had previously been chief executive for an NHS trust in Sussex. The ICB manages the new Integrated Care System in our region, and has taken on the job of commissioning health services from CCGs.
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Speaking to ChronicleLive, she explained how excited she was to get started in a "part of the country I have very strong family connections to". She said: "What makes this place really special are the people. There's a real sense of pride and I think we've got we've got some of the leading healthcare services in the country. But what's interesting about this job is when you look at health and you look at health and well being, we know that life expectancy on average is lower here than other parts of the country.
"We know that healthy life expectancy is worse as well - it's just under 60. And we know that nine of our 13 local authority areas have a lower life expectancy. If you look at the southeast and London, which is the area I've come from, it's only four out of 67 local authorities. So in spite of the really fantastic healthcare services, we've got some real challenges here."
Ms Allen also highlighted the health challenges provoked by the cost-of-living crisis. She said excellent health services accounted for "about 20%" of someone's health, and that it was vital to tackle this more broadly. The NHS leader added: "We've just seen inflation hit a 40 year high. This is stuff that I've not seen in my working life. And we know that is really starting to impact our communities."
She said she hoped that by working with charities, local people and community groups "we can think a bit differently about how we can intervene" in public health. She said it was vital to use assets like Children North East and listen to local people "because that's where most of the solutions lie".
She continued by talking about the NHS' role in the region more widely, saying: "The other 80% is about people's quality of life. Their employment opportunities, their educational opportunities, the surroundings within which they live. And we in the NHS have also got to look at the economic recovery. We've got to look at job creation and employment opportunities. And we've got to make sure also that we've got a health service that can provide rewarding, fulfilling careers."
On the same note, Ms Allen highlighted the importance of looking after under-strain NHS staff. She said it was key to retain "our greatest asset, our people".
"We've got to support our staff. We really need to cherish and value them as the NHS simply wouldn't be possible without the staff," she said. "And we do know that our staff have been impacted by the pandemic. They've worked tirelessly and relentlessly through a very challenging period."
Citing existing successes such as Collaborative Newcastle - which links the local authority with the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust and other health sector groups - Ms Allen said she would be looking to see our area leading a transformation in healthcare.
"There's a real ambition to rewrite history," she said. "There aren't quick fixes and this isn't going to happen overnight. But coupled with the academic links we have, the research innovation. This should be the place, Newcastle should be the place, and Gateshead should be the place, that people from across the world come and visit to see how we are delivering and changing health care for our population."
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