This meeting was scheduled to include updates on several ongoing projects, and discussions about a number of proposed changes to healthcare in the borough.

City & Hackney Place Based System

Councillors were scheduled to receive an update on the City & Hackney Place Based System, which was set up to manage the provision of healthcare in Hackney and the City of London. The System is led by the Chief Executive of Homerton Healthcare, Basirat Sadiq, in her role as Place Based Leader.

The report pack for the meeting included an update on the System's work, including the development of the System's staffing structure, a review of the performance of the partnership and recommendations for its future development.

The report noted that:

The new City and Hackney place staffing structure continues to be heavily based on the previous staffing structure, re-modelled to support 3 key areas: Start Well, Live Well, and Age Well, in line with other ICB places.

It also noted that:

Organisations consider ways in which teams can come together as a partnership to identify areas for future collaboration and joint working

Public Health Medium Term Financial Plan

Councillors were scheduled to receive a report summarising the Public Health Medium Term Financial Plan. The report provided details of £2.23 million of savings that the council had identified in its Public Health budget, out of a total of £3 million that it is required to save over three years.

The report detailed how these savings had been found through a combination of service decommissioning, contract renegotiation and service redesign.

The report's authors noted that:

The timing of the release of savings depends on being able to release money from within existing contracts, by decommissioning, recommissioning or renegotiation.

They also noted that:

To date we have been able to identify £2.2m of savings and have already or will have delivered £629,000 by the end of the financial year.

Future options for 'soft facility services' at Homerton Healthcare

Councillors were scheduled to receive an update on the future of 'soft facility services' at Homerton Healthcare. 'Soft facility services' include catering, cleaning, portering and security. These services are currently outsourced to the company ISS.

The report pack for the meeting noted that:

Hospital cleaners and security workers have reacted in anger over a decision to outsource their contracts for another year.

It also included an update provided to the Homerton Healthcare Board of Directors meeting on 25 September 2024, which noted that:

Soft Facilities Management (FM) options appraisal papers were presented to Finance, Investment and Performance Committee (FIPC) and the Trust’s Private Board in June and July 2024 highlighting the benefits and challenges of three options for the future of Soft FM service delivery at Homerton Hospital, the options being outlined as: • Total insourcing • Total outsourcing • Hybrid model (combination of insourcing and outsourcing)

New GP Provider organisation

Councillors were scheduled to receive a briefing about the recently formed City and Hackney Integrated Primary Care organisation. The new organisation was formed from a merger between the City & Hackney GP Confederation and the local Office of Primary Care Networks (PCNs).

The report pack for the meeting included the new organisation's first Annual Report.

Minutes of the previous meeting and the Health in Hackney Scrutiny Commission Work Programme

Councillors were scheduled to note the minutes of the previous meeting, held on 8 October 2024, and to note the Commission's work programme. The work programme included a number of items which were carried over from the previous year's work programme. It also included a number of items which were suggested for inclusion in the work programme by members of the public and by local stakeholders.