Leeds Leading the Way in Health Innovation

Back in June 2025, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, visited Leeds to meet with local leaders and hear first hand about the great work happening in the city. 

They discussed how Leeds is tackling three big changes:

• Shifting care from hospitals to local communities.
• Moving from older, “analogue” systems to modern digital tools.
• Focusing on preventing illness rather than just treating it.

This visit highlighted Leeds’s role as a key testing ground for new health policies. It also confirmed the city as one of only three national ‘thematic campuses’ under the Government’s health mission pilot, a recognition of the city’s track record in delivering new ways of working that can shape health policy on a national scale. 

What’s the latest

In July, the Government confirmed it’s commitment to Leeds by announcing that the city will lead its flagship ‘Community Mission Challenge’, meaning Leeds will play a key role in co-designing health policies alongside local communities, frontline workers and civil servants. 

Leeds is also set to host a brand new MHRA digital hub in the city centre. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for making sure medicines and medical technologies are safe and effective. Having the digital hub here will bring regulation and innovation closer together, speeding up research, improving quality and ultimately delivering better results for patients. 

Why it matters

Leeds is already recognised as a city with a unique blend of health, care, academia and digital innovation. These announcements show that what’s happening here has the potential to influence things nationally. 

By leading the Government’s health mission and hosting the new MHRA digital hub, Leeds is cementing its role as a city that delivers health innovation.