Yorkshire and the Humber Clinical Networks

What Are Clinical Networks?

Clinical Networks were established by NHS England in 2013 to develop a system wide approach to service improvement. Within Yorkshire and the Humber they work with ICS’s to support reduce unwarranted variation, encourage innovation and provide clinical advice and leadership in line with national priorities and standards

Here are our Four Clinical Networks:

Our Coverage

The Yorkshire and the Humber Clinical Networks covers over 5000 square miles and approximately 100 miles wide by 100 miles high, the area includes the full spectrum of demographics from dense, deprived urban populations to rural and remote communities.

The list below gives a selection of the organisations we work with.

• Integrated Care Systems
• Acute Provider Trusts
• NHS England Area Teams
• Local Authorities
• Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
• Health Education England
• Academic Health Science Network
• Research Networks
• Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSE)
• Education Providers
• Intelligence and Informatics Network

What We Do

• Yorkshire and the Humber Clinical Networks (YHCN) are a quality improvement team established within NHS England to support Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) across Yorkshire and the Humber in line with national and local priorities and standards.
• YHCN deliver service transformation and the collaborative priorities of Yorkshire and the Humber’s three Integrated Care Systems (West Yorkshire, Humber Coast & Vale, and South Yorkshire).
• YHCN are part of the North East and Yorkshire Medical Directorate within NHS England.
• YHCN support delivery of the core clinical programmes within the Long Term Plan by connecting commissioners, providers, professionals, patients and the public across pathways of care with the aim of improving health outcomes. This is achieved by sharing best practice and innovation, assessing and benchmarking quality and outcomes and driving improvement where required, through targeted support.
• Clinical leadership is central to all programmes and ensures the breadth of clinical engagement required in programme delivery across the pathways of care.
• The core focus of all the clinical programmes is to reduce unwarranted variation, improve cohesion and ensure sustainable services across pathways of care for patients, both now and in the future.

Aims Of The Yorkshire and the Humber Clinical Networks

• Our overall aim as a Clinical Network is to address local variation and inequalities in health outcomes and patient experience across six condition areas, which are identified as areas where most lives are lost prematurely i.e. where major health challenges and inequalities exist.
• Within Yorkshire and the Humber these priority programmes are aligned to the following Clinical Network areas:
  • Mental Health Clinical Network
  • Long Term Conditions Clinical Network
  • Maternity Clinical Network
  • Palliative and End of Life Care
• There are three Cancer Alliances within Yorkshire and the Humber. These Cancer Alliances report to different management, and operate to a different geographical footprint. They are chaired by the specialist cancer health providers in their area. They are: