Read: Airedale NHS Foundation Trust commits to levelling up

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust has partnered with former Public Health Minister Rt Hon Anne Milton and signed up to a new set of levelling up measurements.

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust has joined a growing number of NHS organisations by committing to measure its social impact against the Levelling Up Goals.

Launched last year by former Education Secretary Rt Hon Justine Greening, the Levelling Up Goals are a set of clear objectives for the UK's levelling up challenge in the wake of Covid-19.

The partnership will see Airedale produce a Levelling Up Impact Report which will highlight best practice already being shown by the Trust and identify where more can be done to level up across various areas.

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust joins a number of NHS Trusts, public sector organisations, businesses and universities, including the University of Bradford, in measuring their social impact against the goals.

A long-term campaigner on social mobility and levelling up both inside and now outside of Parliament, in 2018 Justine Greening co-founded the Social Mobility Pledge to bring organisations together to improve social mobility. The Levelling Up Goals are the first major piece of work launched by the most committed of these organisations, the Purpose Coalition.

Justine Greening said: “The Levelling Up Goals are a tool for committed organisations, such as Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, to measure and articulate their purpose and impact. It’s great to be working with another purpose driven Trust that wants to go further with its role as an anchor institution within the local community.

“NHS Trusts are huge employers within communities and therefore play a key role in levelling up opportunities, as well as health inequalities. The health inequalities that exist in different communities across the UK have been highlighted during the coronavirus pandemic and we must work together to try and address them.”

Rob Aitchison, Chief Executive at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust said: “As a major employer in this area and key part of the local community, what we do and how we do it has a big impact on local people and the community we are part of. We know that the pandemic continues to have a big impact on Keighley and Craven. Assessing ourselves against the Levelling Up goals gives us a real opportunity to identify where there is more we can do to support and develop our communities and address some of the key issues affecting local people.”

Keighley and Ilkley's MP, Robbie Moore said: “As Parliamentary Chair of the Levelling Up Goals, I am delighted that Airedale NHS Foundation Trust has signed up to the Levelling Up Goals. We have all seen the huge dedication of our NHS staff throughout the last eighteen months, and as we emerge from the pandemic it is vital we build back better – that’s why I’m fighting hard in Westminster to secure the money we need to rebuild Airedale Hospital. As a major local employer, Airedale has a huge role to play in levelling-up, and I look forward to working with the whole team to deliver more and better opportunities for local people.”