The North West London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday 19 March 2026 to discuss several significant health-related topics. Key among these are the planned temporary relocation of specialist children's heart, lung, and critical care inpatient services, and the transformation of the Crystal House Specialist LD CAMHS Ward. The committee will also receive an update on cancer prevention and early diagnosis across North West London.

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

A significant portion of the meeting is expected to focus on the planned temporary move of specialist children's heart, lung, and critical care inpatient services, currently delivered by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT). This move is prompted by clinical risk escalation regarding the safety and sustainability of the paediatric cardiac surgical service. The proposal is to consolidate these services at the Evelina London Children's Hospital and St Thomas' Hospital site. The report indicates that this move is considered an essential step to prevent a sudden service collapse and to meet mandated national Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) standards for co-location of services.

The report highlights that the current two-site model for cardiac surgery is fragile and does not meet national standards, particularly concerning the on-call rota and the availability of specialist services on the same site. The relocation of cardiac surgery necessitates the temporary move of paediatric respiratory inpatients, as the Royal Brompton Hospital's (RBH) Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is largely sustained by the cardiac surgical programme. Without this, the PICU would become clinically unsustainable. The move will involve world-leading respiratory sub-services, including those for Cystic Fibrosis (CF), Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD), severe asthma, and long-term ventilation. The report details the proposed facilities at Evelina London and St Thomas' campus, including the conversion of Sky Ward into a dedicated respiratory unit and the integration of the RBH PICU team. The move is scheduled to begin in mid-May 2026 and will be phased over 2-3 weeks. This temporary change is not a decision on the long-term configuration of the service and is subject to a formal process for permanent service change.

Transforming the Crystal House Specialist LD CAMHS Ward

The committee is also scheduled to discuss the proposed transformation of the Crystal House Specialist LD CAMHS Ward. The current 5-bed specialist learning disability inpatient unit has a high annual running cost of over £2.9 million but has admitted a very low number of patients over the past six years, with many admissions not originating from North West London. The report states the service is not sustainable, equitable, or clinically justified and has stopped taking new admissions.

The proposed changes are driven by evolving national policy and legislation for the care of children and young people with learning disabilities, including changes to the Mental Health Act which will no longer allow detention solely for learning disabilities. The low usage, high cost, and long length of stay, coupled with evidence that only 50% of children in learning disability hospitals have a mental illness, are cited as reasons for the proposed transformation. The NHS 10-year plan mandates a reduction in admissions and length of stay for individuals with learning disabilities. The current model is described as frequently crisis-driven, traumatic for families, and less effective than community-based CAMHS crisis teams. A new model of care is being developed, focusing on earlier, community-based support to prevent escalation and reduce costly admissions. This new model aims to reach significantly more children and young people, providing continuity of care in familiar community settings and reducing health inequalities. The report details how the £2.9 million annual cost of the current service will be reinvested into this new CAMHS pathway, with a minimum of £1.75 million remaining in North West London.

Cancer Prevention and Early Diagnosis Across North West London

The committee is also scheduled to receive an update on cancer prevention and early diagnosis initiatives across North West London. While specific details of the discussion are not elaborated upon in the agenda, this topic is a key area of focus for health scrutiny, aiming to understand how the region is working to reduce cancer incidence and improve the detection of cancer at its earliest stages.

North West London JHOSC Recommendations Tracker and Work Programme

The committee will also review the North West London JHOSC Recommendations Tracker, which summarises scrutiny recommendations made and tracks their implementation progress. Additionally, the 2025/26 Work Programme for the committee will be presented and noted. This programme outlines the health policy areas the committee plans to review throughout the municipal year, demonstrating a commitment to ongoing scrutiny of health services across North West London. The work programme indicates that the committee will also consider the Urgent and Emergency Care Delivery and Application of the Continuing Health Care Criteria at a future meeting.