Here and Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust are delighted to officially welcome Kirsty Coates as Partnership Director for Sussex MSK Health. Kirsty also joins Here’s Enabling Team, bringing a strong track record in service transformation, operational leadership and cross-sector partnership working. 

Kirsty is already well-known to many Here.

As our former Head of Operations, she played a key role in shaping innovative services and led the organisation’s COVID-19 vaccination programme. Since then, she has continued to build experience in senior roles across the NHS and voluntary sector, most recently as Operations Director at Social Tech Trust, where she focused on using technology to drive social impact.

In her new role, Kirsty will work in partnership with colleagues across Here, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust and the wider system to lead the development of Sussex MSK Health — an integrated service for people with musculoskeletal conditions across Brighton & Hove and West Sussex. Her focus will be on supporting collaboration, improving outcomes, and ensuring people can access the right care at the right time. 

Kirsty Coates added: “It’s a real pleasure to return to Here at such an exciting and important time. I’m passionate about working in partnership to develop person-centred, sustainable services, and I’m looking forward to contributing to the next chapter of Sussex MSK Health alongside such a dedicated and talented team.”

This Dementia Action Week, the spotlight is on diagnosis, helping people recognise the signs of dementia and take that all-important first step. At Here, we know how important it is that people feel supported not just after diagnosis, but from the moment they’re referred.

That’s why we’ve deepened our partnership with Alzheimer’s Society as part of our work to improve the Memory Assessment Service (MAS) in Brighton & Hove.

Together, we’ve worked to expand our support offer and connect more people to vital support services. From the point of referral, Alzheimer’s Society provides support, practical advice and signposting for people with memory concerns or a diagnosis of dementia and their families.

This partnership complements the work of our MAS team, who continue to offer regular check-ins and What Matters to You conversations. With increasing demand for memory assessments, this joined-up approach has helped us deliver care that is timely, person-centred and grounded in dignity.

We’re proud of what we’ve achieved together so far and committed to building on it, so that no one has to face the waiting period alone and everyone accessing our service feels informed, supported and seen.

After more than a decade of visionary leadership, Natalie Blunt is moving on from her role as Managing Director of Sussex MSK Partnership Central and as a member of the Here board. As she steps away, we want to take a moment to reflect on her immense contribution, celebrate the legacy she leaves, and simply say: thank you, Natalie.

Transforming MSK Care at Here

Natalie has been with Here for 15 years, dedicating her career to transforming musculoskeletal (MSK) care both locally and nationally. She has spent the last five years as Director of MSK services, and her expertise, clarity of purpose, and relentless focus on people have made a lasting mark on everything we do.

Leading Sussex MSK Partnership Central

She has been at the heart of Sussex MSK Partnership Central since its formation in 2014, a bold and innovative joint venture between Here and Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust. Under her leadership, what began as an ambitious idea has grown into a national exemplar of joined-up, person-centred MSK care for a population of over 1 million people in Sussex.

Championing Whole-Person MSK Health

Throughout her time with us, Natalie has championed MSK health as a vital part of overall wellbeing, not just something to treat, but something to prioritise. She’s driven a whole-person approach, seeing beyond symptoms to the lives behind them. As she often reminded us, “an elbow never walked into a treatment room on its own.” It’s that clarity, always putting people first, that has shaped the service we are so proud of today.

Natalie with Laura Finucane

Standout Moments in Natalie’s MSK Journey

There have been many standout moments along Natalie’s MSK journey with Here.

2015: A National First in Patient Leadership

In 2015, Natalie helped usher in a national first, recruiting a Patient Director. This groundbreaking move placed people with lived experience at the centre of service design and paved the way for our innovative Health Builders Programme.

2019: Award-Winning Excellence

2019 was a year of celebration. The partnership won an HSJ Partnership Award and was rated Outstanding by the CQC, a reflection of the excellence she helped cultivate every day as Deputy MD.

2020: Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the most challenging days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Natalie led the team to proactively redeploy MSK expertise to support the urgent care system, a testament to her ability to see the bigger picture and act swiftly in the face of crisis.

2022: Publishing The CASE for Change

In 2022, she co-authored The CASE for Change, a landmark publication with Laura Finucane that laid out a compelling vision for excellence in MSK care. Its influence continues to resonate across clinical and commissioning communities alike.

2023: National Recognition for Innovation

And in 2023, Sussex MSK Partnership Central was recognised again; this time with a HealthTech Award, highlighting how innovation and compassion can go hand in hand.

Pioneering Community Appointment Days

One of Natalie’s most celebrated achievements came with the creation of our Community Appointment Days, a new, person-focused approach that made national headlines and is now a model now emulated across the sector.

2024/25: Expanding MSK Care Across Sussex

In 2024/25, Natalie played a key role in developing and launching Sussex MSK Health: Brighton, Hove and West Sussex, expanding our innovative approach to MSK care to serve a population of over one million people.

Natalie at an MSK conference

Leading with Purpose and Courage

Natalie’s leadership has been defined by clarity of vision, fierce advocacy for personalised care, and a deep belief in the power of partnership. She has shown us what it means to lead with purpose and to act courageously.

A Lasting Impact at Here

As a board member at Here, Natalie also brought energy, wisdom and challenge, helping ensure our work stayed connected to our vision and values. Her presence will be deeply missed, but her influence will continue to shape our work for years to come.

We know that getting a dementia diagnosis can be tough. Waiting lists are long, private options are expensive, and too many people are left without the answers and support they need. That’s why we’re proud to work with  Age UK West Sussex, Brighton & Hove, a trusted organisation dedicated to supporting older people, to make expert dementia assessments more accessible in Sussex.

Why increased access to dementia assessments matters

At Here, we run the Brighton & Hove Memory Assessment Service (MAS), part of the NHS’s vital network of dementia diagnosis and support. We know first-hand how essential these services are and how stretched they can be. Demand is high, and while we continue to innovate within our MAS service, the reality is that the NHS operates with limited finances. This means capacity is constrained, and waiting lists for NHS memory assessments can be long. 

Right now, around 40% of people over 65 with dementia remain undiagnosed in the UK. That means thousands of people in Sussex are navigating life without the right support, missing out on treatment, guidance, and the chance to plan for the future.  An early diagnosis can make all the difference, not just for the person with dementia but for their family and support network, too. It opens the door to practical help, medical care, and a better quality of life.  

This is where alternative options, like our collaboration with Age UK, can make a real difference. By complementing NHS services, we give people more choice, ensuring that more people can get the answers and support they need, without unnecessary delays.

A partnership rooted in care 

Our collaboration combines Here’s clinical expertise in dementia assessment with Age UK’s trusted support for older people.  Age UK WSBH is an independent charity dedicated to helping people over 50 stay independent, informed, and connected. From practical advice and information to social clubs and wellbeing support, their work helps older people make the most of life.  For over a decade, Here has delivered dementia services built on compassion, trust, and person-centred care. This partnership allows us to expand that work, ensuring people feel heard, respected, and supported throughout their journey.

More accessible dementia assessments

As a first step, we have launched The Dementia Clinic, a not-for-profit, paid-for service that offers the highest standards of compassionate care while keeping costs as low as possible. We focus on people, not profit, as two not-for-profit, purpose-driven organisations.  We are committed to making dementia assessments more accessible by: 

• Keeping costs as low as possible while maintaining the highest standards of care. 
• Making assessments easier to access without unnecessary delays. 
• Providing compassionate, person-centred support tailored to each person. 

Our vision 

Our vision is simple: a dementia care system that puts people first. We want to give people control over their care, provide real alternatives to long waiting lists, and reinvest in services that reach even more people. This partnership is a significant step towards making this happen.

We know we can’t fix everything overnight. But by working with partners like Age UK, listening to the people who need these services, and challenging the barriers to access, we can make a real difference. 

If you’d like to learn more about our partnership or working with Here, drop us a line at collab@hereweare.org.uk. If you’re looking for expert dementia support, find out more about The Dementia Clinic.

We are appalled by the reported comments made by Frank Hester, CEO of TPP. Like many NHS providers, TPP are a provider of our SystmOne electronic patient record.

Dr Helen Curr our CEO and the Here board said

“The reported comments are unmistakably misogynistic, racist and unacceptable. As a social enterprise these comments are in stark contrast with the values we champion in everything we do. We believe our leaders set the standard for what is acceptable – both in what they say, and what is allowed to pass unchallenged.”

As a result we will be contacting TPP to make a formal complaint, and to request detail of the steps they will take as an organisation to ensure an inclusive, respectful environment within their organisation, and how they will make their action plans publicly available.

We urge all organisations working with TPP to consider taking similar action – to speak out and challenge views that have no place in healthcare, or within our society, and to use this opportunity to take a collective stance on what passes for acceptable in public life.