The event hosted by The LIFT Council (the membership body for private investors in the LIFT Programme) and Lord Keith Bradley, brought together a range of guests from the public and private sectors.

Minister of state for health Karin Smyth said: ‘The NHS LIFT programme recognised a really important need – the need for the poorest communities to have access to the best possible facilities and care. LIFT was a pragmatic solution to use public sector assets with private sector finance and expertise – it was a great ambition, and it has delivered. LIFT has been at the frontline of neighbourhood health since 2001 and as we now look to new partnership models, everything we've learned over the last 25 years through LIFT will be crucial in shaping the next wave of neighbourhood health services.'

Established in 2001, with public infrastructure in need of radical investment, the NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (NHS LIFT) brought together the private and public sectors to deliver high-quality primary healthcare and community facilities via long term joint venture investment partnerships. LIFT buildings are delivered by private investors (who design, build, finance and maintain these assets, taking all building performance risk) working in partnership with Community Healthcare Partnerships (CHP) - the Government owned company that holds a 40% stake in these NHS assets and who operates as the local head tenant.

NHS LIFT has delivered 350 new healthcare buildings over the last 25 years, with 9 in every 10 LIFT buildings in areas with above average health needs. NHS LIFT has secured £2.5bn of private investment, with just £100m of public money.

A number of NHS LIFT buildings have already been selected to become some of the first new neighbourhood health centres announced by Government.