MONDAY, 30 OCTOBER, 2023

Immediate release – Read the Anchor Strategy here

NHS Tayside commits to improving health through ‘anchor institution’ status

NHS Tayside has developed a strategy which aims to help address health inequalities and improve wellbeing by investing and deploying more resources into local communities.

NHS Tayside is classed as an ‘anchor institution’, which is defined as a large organisation whose long-term sustainability is tied to the wellbeing of its population. Anchors get their name because they are ‘rooted’ in their communities, are unlikely to relocate and have significant assets and resources which can be used to influence the health and wellbeing of communities.

Director of Public Health Dr Emma Fletcher presented NHS Tayside’s Anchor Strategy to Tayside NHS Board at its meeting on Thursday (26 October). The strategy sets out the ways in which NHS Tayside can use its position as an anchor institution to address health inequalities and provide a positive contribution to the local area.

NHS Tayside employs around 14,000 people across Angus, Dundee and Perth & Kinross, spends more than £333m each year on goods and services, and occupies more than 428,000 sqm of land and buildings including more than 65 premises.

By providing access to quality work, procuring goods and services locally where possible, and ensuring our land and buildings are used to advantage the local community, NHS Tayside can improve the lives of people in the communities it serves by enhancing wealth and wellbeing in the local population.

Dr Fletcher said, “While the main function of the NHS is to deliver healthcare services, our health as an organisation is reliant on the health of the communities around us and vice versa.

“A huge amount of work is already ongoing across NHS Tayside including through supported employability programmes, apprenticeship opportunities, staff development programmes, changes in procurement processes, the introduction of the Real Living Wage, accreditation in employer recognition schemes, community gardening initiatives and pioneering approaches to sustainability.

“However, this strategy provides the opportunity for NHS Tayside to be much more explicit in our commitment to helping our local communities to thrive, reducing health inequalities and further galvanising collective action towards these aims.”

NHS Tayside is already progressing work in many areas which contribute to its role as an exemplar anchor institution.

Several employability programmes are offered in partnership with education providers and third sector organisations, which provide opportunities for people with barriers to gaining employment. These include providing training and placements through the Administration Academy and Healthcare Academy with Dundee & Angus College, the ‘Princes Trust Get into Health Clinical’ course, and Royal College of Nursing Prince of Wales Nursing Cadet Scheme, as well as development opportunities for young adults with learning difficulties and/or autism through Project Search. A number of modern apprenticeships and foundation apprenticeships were also undertaken.

As an employer, NHS Tayside has achieved accreditation in several recognition schemes: Carer’s Positive Exemplary Status, Disability Confident Leader Status, Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award and Real Living Wage Employer. The Living Wage accreditation means that, as well as paying all staff no less than a real living wage, any companies contracted by NHS Tayside must pay their staff the living wage whilst working on our premises.

There is a significant energy efficiency programme being rolled out to improve the carbon performance of NHS Tayside’s hospital sites and reduce energy use and costs by £1.2m a year. In addition, more than half of all waste is recycled on hospital sites and more than half of NHS Tayside’s fleet vehicles are now electric.

NHS Tayside was a pioneer in the public sector in Scotland in adopting the WarpIt reuse portal which allows staff to advertise and claim surplus equipment and supplies. Since its introduction NHS Tayside has achieved the equivalent of 73,462kg carbon saved, 31 cars off the road, 31,910kg of waste avoided, and £176,727 saved.

Across the NHS Tayside estate there are a number of initiatives which have seen buildings and land opened up for community use. The Walled Garden and café at Murray Royal Hospital is run by Perth & Kinross Voluntary Action Services and provides support to people recovering from mental illness and members of the public alike. Learning Disability services use land at Strathmartine Centre in Dundee to grow plants and support community activities to provide occupational therapy for patients. NHS Tayside has also worked with partners to provide a community garden at Ninewells Hospital and with staff from the Eden Project to plant wildflower meadows across its sites.

Contact:

Louise Wilson

NHS Tayside Communications, (01382) 740718