Embedding Creative Health in Integrated Care Systems

In this webinar we will be launching a new report exploring the development and implementation of Creative Health in Gloucestershire, featuring Dr Jane Hearst (National Centre for Creative Health and University College London) and Hannah Gorf (Gloucestershire ICS).

Gloucestershire represents one of the most mature examples of Creative Health integration in England. The county’s model demonstrates how creative and clinical partnerships can become embedded across health systems when supported by clear structures and shared accountability.

Undertaken as part of the Mobilising Community Assets research programme, this study - led by Dr Jane Hearst and Prof Helen Chatterjee, in collaboration with NHS Gloucestershire – involved a health systems analysis of how Creative Health has been integrated into Gloucestershire’s health services. The report draws on qualitative interviews with stakeholders across Gloucestershire’s current and past system, cross-referenced with ICB data, to explain how Creative Health participation data can be linked with ICB data to enable decision making and targeted provision. Findings are thematically grouped and supported by system diagrams to help readers visualise structures, relationships, and funding flows.

By reading this report, health leaders, commissioners, and policymakers can identify transferable lessons on how to design, fund, and sustain Creative Health within their own Integrated Care Systems.

Who will be presenting?

Dr Jane Hearst, Research and Policy Manager (NCCH) and UCL Research Fellow

Hannah Gorf, Senior Programme Manager (NHS Gloucestershire)

Where will the event take place?

The webinar will be hosted on Zoom.

About the National Centre for Creative Health

The National Centre for Creative Health (NCCH) launched in March 2021. NCCH’s mission is to: advance good practice and research, influence policy and promote collaboration, helping foster the conditions for creative health to be integral to health and social care and wider systems. NCCH defines Creative Health as creative approaches and activities which have benefits for our health and wellbeing. Activities can include visual and performing arts, crafts, film, literature, cooking and creative activities in nature, such as gardening; approaches may involve creative and innovative ways to approach health and care services, co-production, education and workforce development. The NCCH worked in partnership with NHS England to develop the Creative Health Hubs programme with Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) in England and worked with four systems to develop a Creative Health Toolkit to support other ICSs to embed creative health at a systems level. The Arts Council England funded Creative Health Associates Programme built on the work with ICSs. Seven Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), one in each NHS region, hosted a Creative Health Associate until the end of March 2025. The NCCH Huddles programme was funded by The Baring Foundation and focussed on mental health services and co-production. Huddles are experimental, small-scale interventions with a focus on learning. Recent policy work has included the publication of the Creative Health Review in December 2023 and the re-launch of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Creative Health for which NCCH provides the secretariat. The NCCH has a research partnership with the Mobilising Community Assets Programme.

About Mobilising Community Assets to Tackle Health Inequalities

Mobilising Community Assets to Tackle Health Inequalities is an AHRC/UKRI-funded, research programme, led by the Culture-Nature-Health Research Group (PI: Prof Helen Chatterjee) at University College London (UCL), in partnership with the National Centre for Creative Health (NCCH). The programme investigates how community assets such as museums, libraries, creative and community organisations, and blue and green spaces can help to address health inequalities and how they can be strategically integrated into healthcare systems to improve population health.

About NHS Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire ICS brings together NHS, social care, public health and other public, voluntary and community sector organisations. NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (NHS Gloucestershire) is responsible for planning and buying services to meet the health needs of local people. It also brings partners together to ensure the county’s NHS provides the best possible care. Alongside communities, it strives to improve health, improve access to high quality care and support when needed and make Gloucestershire a better place for the future.

Do you need a BSL interpreter or have any other accessibility requirements?

There are BSL interpreters booked for this workshop. If have any other accessibility requirements, please contact community.assets@ucl.ac.uk

Contact

If you have any questions about the webinar please contact community.assets@ucl.ac.uk.