NHS Lanarkshire’s strong strategic commitment as an active anchor organisation helps mitigate against some of the drivers of socioeconomic inequalities within Lanarkshire.
The health board has a long history of operating as an anchor organisation with a strong inclusive culture and many positive examples of working in partnership on programmes which have focused on wider determinants of health including action on poverty, employability, green health, and staff health and wellbeing.
NHS Lanarkshire is committed to further enhancing its role as an anchor through more intentionally targeting opportunities and services to those who are most vulnerable and through shaping employability, procurement and asset strategies to be more inequalities focused.
A strategic commitment has been made with anchor principles embedded into NHS Lanarkshire’s healthcare strategy Our Health Together and reflected in the corporate objectives.
Elspeth Russell, NHS Lanarkshire consultant in public health said:
“NHS Lanarkshire is committed to improving the health and well-being of everyone in North and South Lanarkshire, focusing on helping those hit hardest by inequalities.
“As an anchor organisation, we can make decisions which could help reduce poverty and inequalities, and significantly improve the lives of people living within their local communities.
“These decisions can increase access to fair work opportunities for local people, ensure local goods and services are purchased, make better use of buildings and assets, improve local partnership working and reduce environmental impact.
“NHS Lanarkshire has developed a three-year anchor plan that sets out actions that will be taken to support local economic growth and mitigate inequalities through employment, procurement, environment and assets, service delivery and partnership working.
“Anchor organisations as employers can also make a difference to the health and well-being of their employees and NHS Lanarkshire and our partner organisations are very committed to working with anchor organisations in the local communities we serve.”
Anchor organisations are typically large local employers that can have a strong and positive influence on the health and well-being of their local communities. They offer stability and support to communities; this is why they are referred to as an “anchor”.
It is well known that socio and economic factors play a huge role in determining people’s long-term health and anchor organisations usually have well established roots and a significant stake in their local area.
They have sizeable assets that can be used to improve health and tackle health inequalities, for example, through procurement, training, employment, professional development, and buildings and land use.
The five anchor themes are partnerships, purchasing, service delivery, fair employer and environment and buildings. The success of the modern apprenticeship programme is just one example of the work being done across these themes.
The Strategic Anchor Action Plan is available here.
The latest NHS Lanarkshire Annual Report of the Director of Public Health, which covers the 2023 period, highlights the role NHS Lanarkshire will play as an anchor organisation making a difference to health and well-being outcomes and reduce inequalities in our communities.
Watch Public Health Scotland’s animation on anchor organisations here.
