Mayor and NHS leaders kickstart £37 million plan for Healthy Working Life
More people will receive wraparound help and employment support when they visit their local GP, hospital, dentist or community hub, as part of a radical overhaul of how people are supported into work in West Yorkshire.
30 July 2025
More people in West Yorkshire will receive wraparound help and employment support when they visit their local GP, hospital, dentist or community hub, it can be announced.
The new approach is part of a radical overhaul of how people are supported into work in West Yorkshire, with £37 million of new funding to make life easier for people with health conditions and disabilities, by offering access to a range of personalised support all in one place.
The creation of West Yorkshire’s Healthy Working Life Board, which met for the very first time this week (28 July), marks a major milestone in the region’s mission to help more people into high-quality, well-paid jobs.
Pledging to deliver the healthiest residents and workforce in England by 2040, Mayor Tracy Brabin came together with Chief Executive of the regional NHS Integrated Care Board Rob Webster, to shape the new approach alongside leaders from across the health and employment support sectors.
Together, the Board will work to deliver a bold new vision: one joined-up system that supports people’s health and employment needs all in one place.
Speaking after the meeting, Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:
“This is a proud moment for West Yorkshire.
“With the backing of our Healthy Working Life Board, we’re drawing a line under the tick-box, stigmatising systems of the past, and building something better.
“By joining up health services and employment support all in one place, we’re helping people into meaningful work that’s right for them, while treating them with the dignity and care they deserve.
“I’m incredibly grateful to all of our partners for coming together to deliver this groundbreaking plan.”
Backed by £37 million of funding, the Healthy Working Life initiative will break down longstanding barriers to good work, by better integrating employment support services with health and care services, to offer holistic, person-centred support to everyone who needs it.
The inaugural meeting was held at The Reginald Centre in Chapeltown, Leeds, one of the city's largest Community Hubs. The Centre delivers a wide range of wraparound services including employment advice, housing support, family services, and a dedicated wellbeing pod providing clinical care in a community setting.
The region’s Healthy Working Life Board will meet regularly to oversee the delivery of the flagship multimillion-pound programme, and ensure it remains rooted in the needs of local people and communities.
Rob Webster, Chief Executive of the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, added:
“Good work and good health go hand in hand and the work of this Board will help ensure more people are able to stay in work and access routes back in to work.
“Our collective commitment to collaboration is what makes the biggest difference in West Yorkshire. Together we can make it easier for people to access the right support, at the right time, in a way that works for them. This will help to address the stark health inequalities that exist across all of our places.”
The full programme was announced earlier this year, and details can be found on the West Yorkshire Combined Authority website here, and the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership website here.