The move, approved at the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership board, will see Burnham take over from the current co-chair - Salford City Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Greater Manchester Paul Dennett.

Burnham joins Sir Richard Leese, the current co-chair, in leading the board. Together they bring decades of experience in leadership on healthcare and tackling health inequalities and the causes of ill-health.

Burnham said: 'This is a chance to bring the NHS even closer to other public services in Greater Manchester, setting the groundwork for delivering initiatives like Housing First, our mission to end the housing crisis – because good health cannot come without a good, permanent home.

'It also lays the foundations for our next phase of Live Well, building on the truly amazing work between the NHS and Greater Manchester's community and voluntary organisations over the past five years. We hope that soon we can bring employment support services into the Greater Manchester system so people who need help to get back into work can get the wraparound support and advice they need.'

Sir Richard Leese added: 'Our goal is to create an integrated health and care system that not only responds to needs but also tackles the root causes of poor health.

‘By working together across all sectors, we can help every resident of Greater Manchester thrive. Our commitment to innovation and partnership will lead the way, making Greater Manchester a model of health and wellbeing for everyone.'