ICB and system partners pick up top award for collaboration in healthcare

Collaborative work to successfully transfer services from Accrington Victoria Hospital to Accrington Acorn Primary Health Care Centre has received a top industry award.

The project - carried out by Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), East Lancashire Hospitals Trust (ELHT), Community Health Partnerships and the Eric Wright Group - won the Public/Private Sector Collaboration Award for Healthcare at the Operational PPP (Public-Private Partnerships) Awards earlier this week.

Following the closure of the cherished Accrington Victoria, which was no longer fit for healthcare provision, ELHT made the difficult decision to relocate services to ensure the health and wellbeing of patients, visitors, and staff.

This required a reconfiguring of Accrington Acorns, a community health building, as well as navigating complex legal and financial structures, securing Department of Health and Social Care funding, and aligning multiple stakeholders including private sector partners. This behind-the-scenes effort ensured continuity of Primary Care, Outpatients, Minor Injuries, and X-ray services locally, while improving GP services in the area.

Alistair Rose, the ICB’s director of Strategic Estates, Infrastructure and Sustainability, said: “We’re honoured to receive this national award, recognising the incredible teamwork that ensured continuity of NHS services in the Hyndburn area at short notice.

“This achievement reflects the dedication of the ICB Strategic Estates and Infrastructure team and the committed support of our partners across Lancashire and South Cumbria. A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved for making this possible.”

A review in autumn 2024 revealed that Accrington Victoria could not be reconfigured without significant investment and risk to its historic character. This challenge was compounded by a major heating system failure, and an emergency response was required to vacate the hospital before winter and identify a suitable alternative.

The system partners worked at pace to safeguard local healthcare services in Hyndburn, one of the most deprived areas of the UK.

The Operational PPP Awards judges commended the collaboration and leadership demonstrated across government, NHS, and private sector partners, noting that effective communication and partnership enabled rapid decision-making and delivery.

This project exemplifies how infrastructure and investment planning are critical to sustaining and transforming public services.