Health leaders are in discussions over merging three northern sustainability and transformation partnerships to create the largest in the country, HSJ can reveal.
Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and North Durham STP; Durham, Darlington, Teesside, Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby STP; and West, North and East Cumbria STP already have a number of shared work programmes.
But senior sources across the region have told HSJ that discussions have been held over merging the three STPs into a single footprint.
HSJ understands discussions are in the early stages and no decision has been made.
It would create the largest STP in the country, covering a population of 3.2m people, larger than the Greater Manchester STP that has a population of 2.8m.
Full story in The HSJ, 13 September 2017