Many of you will have heard the popular saying ‘there’s no ‘I’ in team’.

For some time, collaborative work has been taking place in Bolton to focus on people’s health and wellbeing.

Public and voluntary sector organisations, including the NHS Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), the Royal Bolton Hospital and the council, are working together.

This collaboration ensures that residents receive the health and care services they need to help them stay well for longer and in their own homes.

Never has this been more important than during the coronavirus pandemic.

Many people from different organisations and the community are working closely to support our most vulnerable residents.

Their efforts are helping to drive down infection rates, get people vaccinated, protect the NHS and look after each other.

An example of this is the support that is being provided to our hospital at this unprecedented time.

This help ensures that the right community services are in place so that patients can be discharged quickly and safely.

Together we are also providing practical support to the borough’s care homes.

This is allowing them to focus on looking after their residents.

Bolton’s Community Hub is providing vital help and support to residents who are most in need, people who may have no one else to turn to.

And let’s not forget the volunteers who are helping to deliver the Covid-19 vaccination programme.

Indeed, the work of all our voluntary and community organisations is invaluable.

There are countless more examples and this will stand us in good stead.

There is going to be an ever-increasing emphasis on partnership working as we begin to focus on reducing waiting times, increasing access to our GPs and the massive challenges ahead as we recover form Covid and work in a very tight financial envelope.

Team Bolton has already shown that it can rise to this challenge. We are stronger together.