A good neighbour, a good consumer and a good employer
Developing NHS Lothian as an Anchor Institution is one of the pillars of the Lothian Strategic Development Framework. At its most basic, it’s about changing how we do things to develop NHS Lothian as a good neighbour, a good consumer and a good employer.
What is an Anchor Institution?
Anchor Institutions are large-scale organisations (for example councils, universities and NHS Boards), usually public sector and usually large employers that are unlikely to relocate and have a significant stake and strong local community presence in their geographical area. ‘Anchor’ institutions or organisations are so called, as they are considered firmly fixed in one location and have a stake in the local area.
The NHS has influence in spending substantial amounts of money on goods and services, considerable land and buildings, and employs lots of people. The size, scale and reach of the NHS means it influences the health and wellbeing of communities simply by being there. It can use its size to positively impact the local population, above and beyond providing healthcare. In simple terms, NHS Lothian as an Anchor Institution is about being a good neighbour, a good consumer, and a good employer. In this webinar Dona Milne, NHS Lothian Director of Public Health, explains what it means to be an anchor institution.
NHS Lothian as an Anchor Organisation
NHS Lothian’s role as an Anchor Institution is central to our contribution towards improving population health and wellbeing and tackling poverty and inequalities.
There are five ways in which NHS organisations act as anchor institutions:
- Workforce – we can employ more local people and provide fair stable work
- Spend – we can buy more goods and services locally and develop the local supply chains to contribute to local economic growth
- Land and assets – we can use our land and buildings for community benefit
- Environmental sustainability – minimise our impact on the environment
- Partnerships – we can work with partners to develop good practice and anchors approaches
