Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust has teamed up with a housing association and a charity foundation to integrate social housing data into offical NHS records and link them to health outcomes.
It is running the project with the Prima Group housing organisation with funding from the Fusion21 Foundation, a social enterprise for public sector procurement.
The trust said the project will allow the NHS to access key housing data – such as living conditions, accessibility and locality – to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of tenants' health needs and offer proactive support services tailored to individuals.
It added that all the data will be anonymised and shared to high governance standards.
Setting a precedent
Its CEO, Professor Joe Rafferty, said: “By bridging the gap between social housing and healthcare, we're setting a precedent for how organisations can collaborate in truly innovative ways to enhance the lives of the communities we serve.
“This project underlines our belief that everyone deserves access to comprehensive healthcare solutions, tailored to their unique circumstances.”
Mersey Care’s director of strategic analytics, economics and population health management, Wes Baker, commented: “By integrating housing data with health records, we're unlocking unparalleled insights into how our living environments influence health outcomes."
Reducing inequalities
Prima Group's chief executive, John Gahder, said: “Housing associations have a key role in reaching groups facing some of the biggest health inequalities and providing preventative support services to people in their homes.
“When we get this right, we see tenants maximise their independence and reduce demand on the health service. This exciting collaboration will help us do more of this, pre-empting when customers need changes made to their home and ensuring resources are targeted where they make the most impact, prioritising property interventions around preventative health management.“
The trust specialises in inpatient services, while Prima Group owns and manages about 2,700 properties in the Liverpool area.
