Read: The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust signs up to levelling up framework

The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust has committed to a new levelling up framework to measure its social impact.  

In partnership with former Education Secretary Rt Hon Justine Greening and former Public Health Minister Rt Hon Anne Milton, The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust will produce a Levelling Up Impact Report to map its activity against the fourteen Levelling Up Goals. 

Launched earlier this year by Justine Greening, the Levelling Up Goals provide a framework to focus efforts on driving equality of opportunity at key life stages. With fourteen in total, including fair career progression and good health and wellbeing, each Goal provides a benchmark for organisations to measure their impact against. 

Highlighting best practice already underway at the Trust, the report will also look at areas where it can go even further in tackling health and social inequalities. By mapping and reporting on its progress, the Trust can ensure that its activities are able to have maximum measurable impact on its staff, patients and communities. 

The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust joins a growing number of NHS Trusts that are measuring their impact against the Goals, as well as a number of universities, local authorities and organisations including the BBC, Compass Group and Amazon. 

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.

Justine Greening said: “I am delighted to be working alongside Martin Barkley and the team at The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust on a Levelling Up Impact Report. It’s great to see another NHS Trust committed to levelling up in the communities it serves, as well as internally through its role as an anchor institution and a large employer. 

“NHS Trusts have a key role to play in society by boosting opportunity and driving levelling up in their communities. The health and social inequalities that exist in different communities across the UK have been highlighted even more following the coronavirus pandemic. Now more than ever we must continue to work together with NHS Trusts to drive change and ensure that tackling these inequalities becomes a priority across the UK.”

Martin Barkley, Chief Executive of The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “I believe passionately that every individual should be given the same chance to succeed in life, regardless of background, and that many factors play into this including health, education and fair career opportunities. At the Trust we are very aware of our responsibility to minimise unequal access to healthcare, as well as understanding what we can offer as one of the largest employers in our area.

“There is no more imperative a time to address these issues: not only does our catchment area already include some of the most deprived areas in the country, but West Yorkshire has also been badly hit by three waves of Covid.

“This is why we are pledging to play our part in the Levelling Up Goals. We look forward to working in conjunction with other partners to ensure we are doing all we can as a Trust to contribute to equality of opportunity for everyone we serve.”