The King’s Fund has published a report examining place-based partnerships across England.
The research combines survey data from 48 place-based partnerships with three detailed case studies, revealing both progress and significant challenges.
Key findings include:
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Governance varies widely – Most partnerships use combined governance models rather than following a single recommended approach.
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NHS dominance persists – NHS employees predominantly filled leadership roles, with fewer local authority or joint appointments.
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Delegation issues – According to most partnerships, Integrated Care Boards do not delegate enough responsibility and budget. Only two survey respondents reported full budget delegation.
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Financial pressures hamper progress – Budget cuts are significantly impacting teams, with one case study noting that their place-based partnership had seen “80% of place-level posts reduced.”
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Relationships are works-in-progress – Most described working relationships as “definitely developing (currently variable depth).”
The report highlights social care providers are commonly part of place-based partnerships (present in 40 of 45 partnerships surveyed), but their voice may not be as prominent as NHS or local authority representatives.
For place-based partnerships to succeed, the report calls for:
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Clearer guidance reinforcing their purpose and role.
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Stronger governance and mutual accountability mechanisms.
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Maturity framework with increasing budget delegation as partnerships develop.
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More investment in collaborative leadership.
For care providers, this suggests opportunities to more actively engage in place-based partnerships, particularly as they become increasingly important for service transformation and addressing health inequalities.
