SOUTH YORKSHIRE TAKES HUGE DEVOLUTION STEP IN ITS AMBITION TO BECOME THE HEALTHIEST REGION IN THE COUNTRY WITH LANDMARK APPOINTMENT OF FIRST DEPUTY MAYOR FOR HEALTH  

Published 12 November 2026 at 5:00pm

South Yorkshire has appointed its first Deputy Mayor for Health and NHS Integrated Care Board Chair, becoming the first place in England to implement a new devolved pilot model of health leadership designed to bring health decision-making closer to communities and strengthen the connection between health, place and economic growth.  

The appointment forms part of the Government's ground-breaking health devolution pilot for South Yorkshire and supports ambitions set out in the NHS 10 Year Health Plan to shift care from hospitals into communities, move from treatment to prevention, and harness the benefits of digital healthcare.  

Sir Steve Houghton CBE has been appointed to the role. The announcement was made at today’s (12 November) official opening of The Spark by Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust -  a £24 million world-class facility and home of the National Centre for Child Health Technology (NCCHT) that will transform how healthcare is designed, delivered and experienced for children and young people.

South Yorkshire continues to face significant health inequalities. People in Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham spend around five to six fewer years in good health than the England average, while healthy life expectancy can vary by as much as 20 years between the region's most and least affluent communities.

Poor health in South Yorkshire is also one of the biggest barriers to unlocking people’s potential, preventing many from entering, remaining in or returning to work.

Under the new pilot model, the Deputy Mayor for Heath will also serve as Chair of NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board reporting to both NHS England and South Yorkshire's Mayor. The role creates a single point of leadership focused on improving population health, tackling inequalities and bringing together partners across the NHS, local government, the voluntary sector and wider public services. 

The appointment marks a significant step forward through devolution for South Yorkshire's ambitions to be the healthiest region in the country, as set out in the recently launched South Yorkshire Strategy. The Deputy Mayor will drive a focus on prevention, helping to ensure local communities benefit from more joined-up services, and improving health outcomes for people in the region.  

The new Deputy Mayor for Health will play a key role in aligning the work of:  

• NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board  
• South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority  
• NHS providers  
• South Yorkshire's four local authorities  
• Voluntary, community and social enterprise sector partners

This leadership, will support greater collaboration between these organisations to address the factors that have the greatest impact on health, including employment, housing, skills, transport, environment and access to services.  

The appointment demonstrates how devolution can enable local leaders to develop solutions tailored to local needs, bringing together health improvement, economic opportunity and community wellbeing under a shared vision for South Yorkshire.  

Sir Steve Houghton is one of the most respected figures in local government, having served as a councillor since 1988 and led Barnsley Council for nearly three decades. Throughout his career he has championed inclusive growth, health improvement and tackling inequalities.  

His leadership helped deliver nationally recognised initiatives including ‘Health on the High Street’, which brought healthcare services directly into Barnsley town centre through the NHS Community Diagnostic Centre at The Glass Works and the development of the Alhambra Health and Wellbeing Hub. 

The programme has already delivered more than 220,000 appointments closer to home, increased breast screening attendance by 22 per cent and reduced missed appointments by 24 per cent, demonstrating the impact of prevention-focused, community-based approaches to healthcare.  

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “As our Deputy Mayor for Health, Sir Steve Houghton is a pioneer - the first to step into that role anywhere in the UK. I couldn't be more pleased that we will have someone with his experience and expertise now leading on our shared challenge of making South Yorkshire the healthiest region in the country. He understands that challenge better than almost anyone, but he also knows the huge potential we have here in South Yorkshire. 

“Devolution gives us the chance to take more control over the things that shape people’s lives here, because the right solutions for Battersea or Blackpool won’t be right for Barnsley. Sir Steve’s appointment and our drive to tackle health inequality here is yet another example of how devolution is giving us the powers to do things differently, bringing decisions closer to our communities and giving us a stronger voice over how we improve health and wellbeing across South Yorkshire.

"It cannot be right that anyone’s chances of living a healthy life should depend so heavily on where they are born. Poor health holds us back from work, from opportunity and from living out our dreams. Meanwhile our businesses and our public services are left without the talent and energy they need, and too many people are prevented from reaching their full potential.

"Sir Steve has spent 35 years working in and alongside our communities, public services and partners. He led Barnsley’s huge transformation over that time, delivering the move from a former coalfield community to a place that is now seen as perhaps the best example of regeneration in the country. He’s also played an important role in securing devolution and bringing more power closer to our communities.  He is widely seen as the best local government leader of his generation. 

"Whether it’s Health on the High Street, MiCard or Pathways to Work, Sir Steve's focus has always been on creating opportunity and tackling inequality. I’m delighted he will now be bringing those talents to bear on the work we are doing across South Yorkshire.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Devolution gives local leaders the opportunity to take decisions closer to the communities they serve, bringing together the NHS, local government and wider public services to deliver better health and care.

“As South Yorkshire's first Deputy Mayor for Health, Sir Steve Houghton will play a vital role in bringing together local democratic leadership and NHS expertise to tackle health inequalities and drive the improvements we want to see across our NHS services, including making better use of technology, delivering more care closer to home, and focusing on preventing illness not just treating it.

“This is another example of how the Prime Minister's local devolution agenda will deliver better outcomes for Yorkshire, and for communities across the country.”

Chair of NHS England North East and Yorkshire Bill McCarthy said: “I welcome the appointment of Sir Steve Houghton as the new Chair of the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, piloting a dual-accountability model that answers to both NHS England and the South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard on prevention.   

“Sir Steve has a strong track record of working to benefit communities in South Yorkshire. By working across healthcare and local government, this appointment will strengthen our ability to tackle longstanding challenges for health and healthcare.”

South Yorkshire’s first Deputy Mayor for Health and NHS Integrated Care Board Chair, Sir Steve Houghton CBE said: "Good health shouldn't be a privilege. It shouldn't depend on your postcode, your income, or the community you grow up in.  

"We've made real progress in South Yorkshire by bringing services closer to people and focusing on prevention, but there's much more to do.  

"What's exciting about the role is the opportunity to bring together everyone who has a part to play in improving health, from the NHS and councils to community groups and local employers.  

"I’ll be focused from day one on helping more people stay healthy, stay independent and stay in or return to work, to create stronger communities and a stronger South Yorkshire.”