GM VCFSE Leadership Group member and chair of Alternative Provider Collaborative appointed VCFSE representative to Integrated Care Partnership Board

Edna will be acting as the voice of the sector on this board, which focuses on tackling the causes of inequality, preventing poor health and improving life chances as a partnership, including the VCFSE sector.Edna Robinson is a member of the Greater Manchester VCFSE Leaders Group, and for the past two years has been Executive Chair of the Greater Manchester Alternative Provider Collaborative which has successfully established a new VCFSE provider voice.

Edna is the Chair of The Big Life Group and an experienced leader, having held several NHS positions in her career; CEO of a Primary Care Trust and of an acute NHS district hospital, Chair of Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust, CEO of the GM Health Action Zone, founder of NHS Networks and co-led The National Primary Care Commissioning Development Programme. She was a policy advisor during the Brown/Blair government, advising on health, social care and police reform, and has continually campaigned for better services and systems to reduce health inequalities and social injustices. Edna also chairs The People’s Powerhouse for the North of England, a hugely successful social platform that drives the debate around devolution and social and economic justice.

On her appointment, Edna said ‘I am looking forward to working with colleagues to bring the VCFSE voice to the board, ensuring that services are designed collaboratively and with communities as the focal point.' The GM Integrated Care Partnership Board members are leaders from a mix of health, care and wider public sector and community sector organisations. Together they bring a wide range of skills, experience and knowledge to improving the health and wellbeing of all GM residents.

This board, alongside the GM NHS Integrated Care Board, make up the Greater Manchester NHS Integrated Care System (ICS). The GM Integrated Care Partnership Board is co-chaired by City Mayor Paul Dennett and Sir Richard Lees. The Chair commented on what an excellent addition to the board Edna would be given her years of relevant experience.