A round-up of some of the programmes and projects WYAAT have been working together on recently

As the Programme Director for the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT - hospitals working together), my role is to work with colleagues in the six acute hospital trusts in the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership.

The West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT) is an innovative collaboration, which brings together the six NHS trusts (Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust) who deliver acute hospital services across West Yorkshire and Harrogate.

As the NHS turns 70, we wanted to take the opportunity to shine a spotlight on how our hospitals in West Yorkshire and Harrogate are working together to ensure they will continue to provide outstanding care and support to everyone who needs it 24 hours a day, 365 days a year - and for the next 70 years.

As we approach winter, we are seeing concerted efforts across health and care to prepare effectively for winter. One of the conversations we have been having with NHS England and NHS Improvement is the role of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate partnership in managing winter pressures. In our partnership, with our focus on local places and systems, most of the work gets done through local A&E delivery boards and local partners.