South Yorkshire appoints UK-first deputy mayor for health

Sir Steve was leader of Barnsley Council from 1996 to 2026, and remains councillors for Cudworth after Reform swept to power in May.

He will now take on the special health devolution pilot for South Yorkshire, which is designed to help shift care from hospitals into the communities and move from treatment to prevention.

As part of this, a new community health hub has opened in the Alhambra Shopping Centre in Barnsley, as well as it being named the UK’s first tech town.

Sir Steve was announced as the new deputy mayor at the official opening of The Spark by Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, a £24m facility which could transform how healthcare is designed and delivered for children.

He 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.”

Due to its industrial heritage, South Yorkshire has a number of health inequalities compared with the rest of the UK.

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.

That was one of the main findings from Alan Milburn’s Pathways To Work Commission in Barnsley, which preceded his major review into young people.

South Yorkshire 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.”

Health Secretary Yvette Cooper added: “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.

“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.”

Under the new pilot model, Sir Steve will also serve as chair of the 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.