What is LIFT

LIFT stands for Local Improvement Finance Trust.  LIFT establishes a public-private partnership company (a LIFTCo) - which works with local organisations to provide bespoke, tailor-made facilities.

The LIFTCo (Medway Community Estates) is formed from three groups:

• local public sector health and care organisations (including PCTs and Local Authorities),

• the selected private sector organisation,

• and Community Health Partnerships.

A Strategic Partnering Board, including all key local health and social care organisations, is established to collate the service requirements of all local providers.  The Board plans and then delivers an integrated service strategy.

The LIFT model allows a range of buildings to be procured and managed, from small GP practices to one stop centres to community hospitals and multi-million pound, multiple agency, health and social care centres.

LIFT assets are owned by the public-private partnerships, run by the LIFTCo and leased/rented to service providers. This frees up the public sector to concentrate on service strategy and commissioning. The public sector, however, still has a 40 per cent stake in the ownership of the assets through its shareholding in LIFTCo. So the assets are therefore NOT exclusively owned by the private sector.

For further information, please refer to the Community Health Partnerships website: www.communityhealthpartnerships.co.uk