NHS leaders need to prioritise social value

By Lizzie Smith10 April 2025

Through collaboration, innovation, and bold leadership, the NHS London Anchor programme tackles health inequalities, strengthens communities, and drives sustainable economic growth across the capital, writes Lizzie Smith

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare leaders in London launched the NHS London Anchor programme. The concept of anchor institutions was not new, but to that point, there had been no regional anchor activity across the capital’s healthcare sector.

In NHS England, London region, we worked closely with the mayor of London and other partners to respond to the pandemic. The anchor programme was part of the healthcare sector’s contribution to securing the city’s economic and wider recovery from the virus.

Anchor institutions work to create positive impact in their community, in turn addressing challenges the organisation is grappling with. Anchor programmes vary depending on the organisation. Common examples include reducing carbon emissions, increasing procurement for social value and creating good employment opportunities for local people.

Most importantly for healthcare leaders, anchor institutions help to grow the economy and reduce the health and wider inequalities that are driving the crippling demand on our services.

The NHS London Anchor programme

The prevalence of anchor work in the NHS has grown over the past few years, most notably by the inclusion of the fourth purpose of integrated care boards – to help the NHS support broader social and economic development.

London has a unique advantage in the Greater London Authority-hosted London Anchor Institutions Network (LAIN), which brings healthcare, transport, police, education, business and other sectors together to unlock London’s anchor potential through collaboration. A recent evaluation of the LAIN showed that London is the only global city to take this approach.

Anchor results across the NHS in London are impressive. Through the LAIN and mayor of London’s campaign to make London a Living Wage city, the number of NHS Trusts accredited as Living Wage employers more than tripled to 28 by the end of 2024, resulting in a pay rise for more than 10,000 NHS workers.

 Since April 2022, the NHS in London has realised more than £25.6m in added social value through its supply chain, and through the London Anchor Greener NHS programme, trusts have significantly decreased the use of desflurane, an environmentally harmful anaesthetic, and reduced the CO2e impact of inhalers by 25 per cent. Results continue to grow as our anchor networks strengthen.

The new government plans to deliver change through a mission-driven approach, building on the anchor movement by pulling the public sector away from the cycle of managed decline many would argue we are in. There are bold ambitions in London that could turn the concept of missions into tangible outcomes for Londoners.

Examples being explored include attracting innovative investment through social finance to fund digital transformation and housing for vulnerable people, the potential retrofit of public estate to meet carbon net zero targets and the opportunity to launch a pan-London industrial placement scheme to address skills gaps across the city, creating sustainable careers for young Londoners who are struggling to find good work opportunities.

Helping the city to thrive through a commitment to shared goals.

Social value leadership

Anchor work is commonly underestimated by healthcare leaders who, whilst supportive from a moral perspective, brush the notion off as altruistic. This could be short-sighted given the momentum that is growing around social value and economic growth. The healthcare sector is under pressure that will continue to build as our population ages and the needs of our society deepen. NHS organisations won’t survive by going it alone; heroic leadership can’t deliver the results we need if we are to build a sustainable health and care sector for our children and grandchildren.

So what can this tell us about leadership?

 The world we are working in today is very different to the one many of us began our careers in. Years before the pandemic, demand for healthcare services was outstripping supply. Global pressures were driving much of this: health inequalities, climate change, war, workforce shortages, Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis, to name just a few. As the context changes around us, so does the task for leaders.

The anchor work in London has surfaced a style of leadership I’d describe as Social Value Leadership. Social Value Leaders truly understand the power of collaboration. They are focused on using their power and influence to address the issues threatening society. They understand that success is a sustainable future for vital sectors such as health, social care, the environment and education. Most importantly, they understand their role in achieving it.

Social Value Leaders are visionary, see potential, and deliver results. They are driven by values and know they must tackle inequality to succeed. Social Value Leaders are courageous and will take risks. They are curious to test boundaries and forge new partnerships. They learn from the past, but they aren’t constrained by it.

What does this mean/why is it important now?

In an environment where all sectors are challenged by high demand and scarce resources, we need more Social Value Leaders driving anchors and wider collaborative working. London is a city rich in assets. When powerful networks are connected by a shared purpose, the results are significant. So much potential is unlocked when leaders have the qualities and courage to work in these new and innovative ways.

The results will vary, but at scale this work reduces health inequalities and demand on our overstretched healthcare sector and economy.

It's not an idea to brush off after all.