Digital Health Hub Fund

Introduction to the fund

100% Digital Leeds and the Beeston and Middleton Local Care Partnership are offering grants of £1,000 to £10,000 to support third sector organisations in the Beeston and Middleton Local Care Partnership area to become Digital Health Hubs.

Organisations may become Digital Health Hubs without access to this funding but this fund is available to those in need of extra resource.

How to apply

Applications open Tuesday 13th April 2021 and close at 12 noon on Friday 28th May 2021.

Application is via Google form.

Before completing your application please refer to our application guidance document to check your organisation’s eligibility and see a full breakdown of the questions.

Briefing event

We will be holding a briefing event via Zoom for organisations interested in applying for the fund to find out more and ask any questions about the application process and the Digital Health Hubs process. The briefing will be recorded and shared here after the event. Book your free place via Eventbrite:

Background to the fund

Digital exclusion and health inequalities

The necessary reduction of face-to-face services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed organisation from all sectors to adapt their services to be delivered digitally. This has left digitally excluded people – those lacking the connectivity, skills, confidence, and motivation to make the most of digital – less able to access essential services like health and care. It is those people and communities who already faced the biggest health inequalities who are more likely to be digitally excluded and so the move to digital has exacerbated existing health inequalities. This issue is explored by Healthwatch Leeds in their recent Digitising Leeds series of reports.

A localised approach to improved digital inclusion and reduced health inequalities

100% Digital Leeds and Beeston & Middleton Local Care Partnership are working together to develop a place based approach to improving digital inclusion and reducing health inequalities. What we learn from the development and implementation of this model will inform the future development of digital health and care services to ensure they are inclusive across Leeds.

A key element of this work involves strengthening partnerships between health and care providers and third sector organisations to increase the provision of digital access, skills, and support available locally, and improve awareness of and support to access to health and care services.

Digital Health Hubs

Digital Health Hubs are dedicated community organisations with spaces and trusted people on hand to help their service users to access relevant information and tools to improve their health and wellbeing. Digital Health Hubs tie digital inclusion and health literacy together and are as much about supporting improved health and wellbeing as they are about supporting people to have the skills, confidence, motivation, and connectivity to do more with digital.

Digital Health Hubs are responsive to people’s interests as well as their needs. Each Digital Health Hub is unique – there is no ‘one size fits all’. Digital Health Hubs take a holistic approach to supporting its service users to:

  • Manage their health and wellbeing
  • Access digital health services (using NHS and GP services online)
  • Develop their digital skills and confidence and overcome digital inclusion barriers

Find out more about Digital Health Hubs

A recording of the Beeston and Middleton LCP Digital Inclusion Group meeting where Rachel Benn introduced the Digital Health Hub concept, with the support of Sam Taggart from Cross Gates and District Good Neighbours

If you would like support to develop your application or are unsure about any part of this process please contact Rachel Benn at rachel.benn@leeds.gov.uk