A devolution deal described by the signatories as ‘ground-breaking’, that will lead to improvements in health and care in London, has been signed by the Mayor of London, Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, London Councils, and NHS, public health and wider health and care leaders.
England’s largest such deal to date, with over 100 organisations involved in shaping it over the past couple of years, the agreement was hailed by London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan (pictured), as ‘a really important step in the right direction in our journey to becoming the world’s healthiest city’.
The NHS is among the capital’s largest owners of land and buildings, owning a land area up to three times the size of Hyde Park, estimated to be worth over £11 bn. Data from the London Health Commission’s 2014 Better Health for London report indicated that a high proportion of London’s primary care estate – including GPs’ surgeries and family health clinics – was in poor condition, with 13 per cent requiring rebuilding and 51 per cent in need of refurbishment. The signatories of the new devolution deal say it will make money from the sale of NHS-owned assets available ‘for much-needed primary and community care and wider public services in London’. The release of unused land will also create the opportunity to develop more housing.
The announcement said: “A London Estates Board will bring together London and national partners to support the release of capital from surplus NHS estate and land to be reinvested in the city’s health and care system. This new way of working will speed up decision-making and ensure improvements happen much faster than the current five to 10-year average time to develop NHS estates.
OPTIONAL CUT FROM HERE: It added: “Over the past two years, pilot projects across five areas in the capital have been exploring innovative ways of working across London’s large and complex health and care system – developing better and more efficient services that meet the needs of Londoners. Through their work, London has secured a number of powers which will help streamline care, improve services, and drive prevention to the heart of local communities.”
NHS England CEO, Simon Stevens, said: “This strengthened partnership has the potential to unlock funds for reinvestment in much-needed modern NHS buildings and clinics across London, as well as kick starting more concerted action on rising health threats such as obesity and air pollution. The practical test will be ensuring this welcome new cooperation rapidly catalyses new benefits for all who depend on the capital's health services.”
