The North West London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Thursday 19 March 2026 to discuss several key health service matters across the region. The meeting's agenda included updates on planned service moves, cancer prevention and early diagnosis initiatives, and the transformation of a specialist mental health ward.

Planned Temporary Move of Specialist Children's Heart, Lung, and Critical Care Inpatient Services

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing the planned temporary move of specialist children's heart, lung, and critical care inpatient services, currently provided by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT). The report indicated that this move is a proactive measure to address clinical risk escalation concerning the safety and sustainability of the paediatric cardiac surgical service. The consolidation of these services is planned for the Evelina London Children's Hospital and St Thomas' Hospital site. This relocation is driven by the need to meet national Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) standards for co-location of services and to ensure a sustainable workforce rota. The report detailed that outpatient clinics, day-case procedures not requiring anaesthetic or sedation, and outpatient imaging services would not be affected by this move. The paper also highlighted the dependency of paediatric respiratory services on the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the Royal Brompton Hospital (RBH), which would become clinically unsustainable if cardiac surgery were to move. The proposed changes aim to ensure patient safety and service stability until a formal, long-term service reconfiguration process is completed.

Cancer Prevention and Early Diagnosis Across North West London

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on cancer prevention and early diagnosis initiatives across North West London, as presented by RM Partners NHS Cancer Alliance. The report outlined the alliance's work in four strategic areas: prevention and screening, early diagnosis, time to treatment, and treatment, care, and survival. Key focus areas for prevention included increasing HPV vaccination uptake, particularly for head and neck cancers, and enhancing smoking cessation support through the Lung Screening Programme. The report detailed progress in early diagnosis, including community outreach programmes and a quality improvement scheme working with GP practices to optimise diagnostic pathways. It also provided an update on the public consultation regarding the proposed relocation of the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC) to a purpose-built facility adjacent to Watford General Hospital. The consultation activity and interim findings, including patient and public feedback, were to be discussed.

Transforming the Crystal House Specialist LD CAMHS Ward

The committee was also set to discuss the transformation of the Crystal House Specialist Learning Disability Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (LD CAMHS) Ward. The report highlighted that the current inpatient model at Crystal House is no longer meeting patient needs or aligning with national priorities and upcoming legislation for the care of children and young people with learning disabilities. The unit, which has a high annual running cost and low patient admission rates, is described as unsustainable, inequitable, and clinically unjustified. The proposed changes aim to implement a new model of care focused on earlier, community-based support, which is expected to reach significantly more children and young people and deliver better value for the health and social care system. The report detailed the proposed model, which prioritises prevention and early intervention, and outlined the next steps, including the discharge of the current patient and the implementation of a new transitional model in April 2026.

North West London JHOSC Recommendations Tracker and 2025/26 Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to review the North West London JHOSC Recommendations Tracker, which summarises scrutiny recommendations made in previous municipal years and tracks their implementation progress. Additionally, the committee was to note the 2025/26 Work Programme, outlining the health policy areas the committee plans to review during the municipal year. This included noting any changes to the programme, such as the addition of discussions on the planned temporary move of specialist children's services and the transformation of the Crystal House ward, and items deferred to the following municipal year.