Newham Council is to pool resources with local NHS partners to build and own health and care premises in a UK first.

The £1 billion joint venture will see the acquisition and redevelopment of sites across the borough to provide 28,000 square metres of health and care space, including offices and shared facilities for partners.

East London Foundation Trust (ELFT) and Newham Council, partnered by Newham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), hope to start acquiring purchases in the new year after the scheme’s official launch, pending final approval from all parties.

The local authority will inject a capital investment of £2 million, subject to their funding being matched by the health partners.

In addition, about 250 affordable homes will be built and allocated as a priority to key workers in the health and care sector.

Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales said: “This new partnership is an exciting opportunity for us to combine our talent, assets, and experience to provide our residents with the first-class health and social care provision they deserve.

“In addition, this project will enable us to provide much needed homes in the borough for our health and social care workers.”

Newham currently has a disproportionately large number of health premises with outdated facilities.

It is hoped that up to 50 primary care sites could be purchased under the new venture, which comes with a detailed business plan for the next 60 years.

Sir Robin and his cabinet members green-lighted the proposal at a council meeting last Thursday.

Dr Prakash Chandra, GP and chair of NHS Newham CCG, said: “Our commitment to providing our patients with safe, high quality care extends beyond the doors of our GP surgeries and hospitals and to post-acute settings.

“This partnership will expand our ability to provide the best care, with improved infrastructure to meet the needs of our communities.”

The scheme was also praised by ELFT chair Marie Gabriel who said it would ensured high quality care was carried out in “purpose designed facilities”.

She said: “Providing affordable homes will attract skilled staff to work in local health and social care services.