The North West London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to discuss a range of significant health service matters, including a planned temporary move of specialist children's heart, lung, and critical care inpatient services and the transformation of a specialist learning disability CAMHS ward. The committee will also review progress 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 key item on the agenda is 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 a formal clinical risk escalation regarding the safety and sustainability of the paediatric cardiac surgical service. The proposal is to temporarily consolidate all heart and lung paediatric inpatient services and day cases requiring sedation at the Evelina London Children's Hospital and St Thomas' Hospital site. This decision is driven by the clinical judgment that the current on-call rota for the cardiac surgical workforce is unsustainable beyond April 2026 without compromising patient safety. The move also aims to meet mandated national Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) standards for the co-location of services. Outpatient clinics, day-case procedures not requiring anaesthetic or sedation, outpatient imaging, and research will continue at existing sites. The relocation of cardiac surgery necessitates the move of paediatric respiratory inpatients, as these services rely on the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and other co-located specialist paediatric services, which would no longer be viable at the Royal Brompton Hospital site after the cardiac surgery move. The briefing paper notes that the Evelina London Children's Hospital offers immediate access to a comprehensive range of paediatric sub-specialties. The move is scheduled to begin in mid-May 2026.

Transforming the Crystal House Specialist LD CAMHS Ward

The committee is also scheduled to consider proposals for transforming the Crystal House specialist learning disability CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) ward. The current inpatient model is described as 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 Crystal House unit is a 5-bed specialist learning disability inpatient unit with high annual running costs, which has admitted a low number of patients over the past six years, with many not being from North West London. The service is deemed not sustainable, equitable, or clinically justified and has stopped taking new admissions. The proposed changes aim to implement a new model of care providing 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. This new model focuses on prevention and early intervention, with funds being reinvested into the CAMHS pathway. If an admission is required, the model proposes a short hospital admission followed by a return to community support. Engagement with stakeholders, including families, has indicated a strong preference for community-based support and continuity of care. The current patient on the unit is expected to be discharged by the end of March 2026, leading to no patients being on the unit from that point, reflecting a shift towards community-based care.

Cancer Prevention and Early Diagnosis Across North West London

The committee is also set to review the approach to cancer prevention and early diagnosis across North West London. While specific details of the discussion are not fully elaborated in the provided documents, this topic indicates a focus on proactive measures to reduce cancer incidence and improve the chances of early detection, which is crucial for better patient outcomes.

North West London JHOSC Recommendations Tracker

The committee will review the North West London JHOSC Recommendations Tracker. This document outlines previous recommendations and information requests made by the committee to NHS bodies and tracks the progress of responses and implementation. It provides an overview of the committee's ongoing scrutiny of health services across North West London.

North West London JHOSC 2025/26 Work Programme

Finally, the committee will consider its work programme for the 2025/26 municipal year. This programme outlines the key health policy areas and decisions the committee plans to review throughout the year, reflecting its role in scrutinising the plans for meeting the health needs of the population and the provision of health services in North West London. The work programme is designed to be flexible, allowing for the inclusion of emerging issues. Notably, the planned temporary move of specialist children's services and the transformation of the Crystal House CAMHS ward have been added to the current year's programme.