Leeds Health and Care Academy Recognised Nationally for Tackling Health Inequalities

Leeds has been recognised as a National leader in reducing health inequalities through inclusive local recruitment in a new report published by NHS Employers and the ICL Institute of Health Equity.

The report, NHS Employers Building Opportunity: Reducing Health Inequalities Through Inclusive Local Recruitment, highlights the Leeds Health and Care Academy for creating pathways into the workforce.

Established in 2019 and jointly funded by five of the city’s anchor institutions, including the NHS, Leeds City Council, and the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, the Academy has been instrumental in breaking down barriers to employment in health and care. 

The Academy’s Talent Hub represents a key strategy aimed at attracting local individuals into the health and care sector by eliminating obstacles and reimagining the recruitment process. The Talent Hub offers the necessary framework to implement the city’s Connecting Communities initiative, which specifically targets and involves residents from the city’s most deprived areas (the lowest 10% on the Index of Multiple Deprivation).

“We connect communities with health and care careers… through innovation, we remove not just barriers, but some of the root causes that people experience in accessing opportunities.”

The report praises the Academy’s person-centred approach, inclusive leadership programmes, and its incredible impact, notably, 90% of Talent Hub participants remain in post after 12 months, significantly outperforming conventional retention rates.

Councillor Fiona Venner, Leeds City Council Executive Member for Adult Social Care, said:
“This national recognition is a powerful endorsement of the city’s commitment to fairness, opportunity, and inclusive growth. The Health and Care Academy is not just about jobs—it’s about transforming lives and communities.”

By embedding health equity into workforce strategy, Leeds is demonstrating how local recruitment can be a powerful lever for social change. As a designated Marmot City, Leeds continues to lead the way in addressing the social determinants of health, starting with access to good, secure work.

You can read the full report on the Institute of Health Equity’s website: NHS Employers: Reducing Health Inequalities through Local Recruitment