Midlands

Find out more about the Midlands SPF

Read the Midlands SPF statement of intent in response to government announcements on NHS infrastructure changes and workforce reductions.

Maintaining positive partnership relationships locally, at system level and regionally during challenging contexts including workforce reductions, financial pressure and employee relations.
Influencing the current policy landscape including the NHS infrastructure changes and the 10-year health plan.
Improving staff experience with a focus on managing employee relations casework, promoting staff health and wellbeing to reduce sickness absence and reducing violence, aggression and sexual harassment at work.
Advocating for equality, diversity and inclusion to facilitate staff to bring their full selves to work and support employers with anti-racist practice and tackling discrimination in the workplace, including supporting staff with the impact of the UK Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland vs The Scottish Ministers.
Understanding new ways of working and how these can be integrated into the workforce, including use of artificial intelligence and new roles such as physician assistants, associate nurses etc.

The Midlands and East of England SPFs held their annual partnership conference on 3 December 2024, attended by more than 70 delegates. The event focused on partnership working to address health inequalities and promote equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Delegates focused on regional priorities and discussed specific challenges and opportunities including pay gaps, antiracism and neurodiversity.
The East and West Midlands SPF networks were merged to create a unified Midlands SPF, enhancing the forum's influence and reach, expanding its pool of ideas and expertise, and aligning with NHS England's geography which has reduced duplication.
We submitted a Midlands SPF response to the consultation on the 10-year health plan.
We continued to explore what good partnership working looks like at an integrated care system level.
We continued to maintain meaningful engagement with NHS Employers and NHS England colleagues on core priority focus areas including the Long Term Workforce Plan and the NHS People Promise.
We developed a regional sexual safety plan which looked at how organisations in the Midlands can meet the national requirements set out by NHS England as part of its operational planning guidance 2024/2025.
We produced a comprehensive set of principles for employers to consider when working with neurodiverse colleagues.