Welcome to the Sandwell LIFTCo Partnership

Sandwell LIFT Company was set up in 2004 to improve the primary care estate and access to health and social services for all residents in the region and has opened developments worth £9 million to date. The long term private sector partner for Sandwell is Primary Plus Ltd. As well as Sandwell they are the private sector partner in five other LIFT companies with a total property portfolio of £280 million.

Sandwell MBC consists of six towns, Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury and West Bromwich. The 2001 Census of Population confirmed that ill health is very widespread in Sandwell. By at least three measures in the Cenus (limiting long-term illness, perceptions of general health, and permanent sickness or disability), ill health is extremely commonplace in Sandwell when compared to other local authority districts in the region.

Significantly improving the local primary care infrastructure which had seen very low levels of investment for a number of years was the UK Government’s commitment behind the NHS Plan issued in 2000. The NHS Plan emphasises the need for closer working relationships between the NHS and local government making 'joined-up' services a reality. This paves the way for the development of the 'one-stop centre' concept, with services from a number of providers accessible under one roof.