This meeting of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Health was scheduled to discuss a range of topics, including the relationship between the Whittington and UCLH hospitals, finance arrangements, and planning for winter pressures. The committee was also scheduled to note its work programme and the dates of future meetings.

Whittington/UCLH Collaboration

The committee was scheduled to receive an overview of the ongoing collaboration between the Whittington Hospital and University College London Hospitals.

The report pack notes that a joint chair for the two trusts was appointed in April 2020, and a Partnership Development Committee was established in May 2023 to develop a long-term vision for the partnership. It states that the focus of the collaboration is on improving clinical outcomes and ensuring the long-term sustainability of services.

Five priority workstreams have been identified for the collaboration:

• Successfully delivering a joint theatre capacity plan
• Increasing community provision from Whittington Health
• Modernising cancer services at Whittington Health
• Establishing resilient gynaecology pathways
• Joint outpatient dispensing service across UCLH and Whittington Health

NCL ICS Financial Review

The committee was scheduled to receive a financial update for the North Central London Integrated Care System. The report pack notes that a more detailed report was to be provided to the attendees.

Winter Planning

The committee was scheduled to receive an overview of winter planning for 2024/25 in North Central London.

The report pack includes details about the NHS England recovery plan for urgent and emergency care services, which was published in January 2023, as well as the seven Urgent and Emergency Care priorities. It notes that preventative work through vaccinations as the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases is a critical part of our plans. It also describes PCN schemes to support at-risk groups during the winter.

Finally, the report pack includes details about the Your Local Health Team campaign. It notes that the objectives of the campaign are:

• improve trust and understanding among residents and stakeholders that the Integrated Care System in North Central London is taking action to improve the health of local people.
• improve recognition and understanding of the breadth of local services on offer to support the health and wellbeing of residents
• provide information to support residents to feel confident about how to improve their health and access appropriate services
• rise above the plethora of existing campaigns
• be local and resident focused, adaptable and distinctive and work alongside ICS branded materials

Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to note its work programme, which is included in the report pack.

The work programme highlights a number of issues that the committee had indicated it wished to receive further updates on, including:

• St Pancras Hospital
• The North Middlesex University Hospital/Royal Free Hospital merger
• The Health Inequalities Fund
• Smoking cessation & vaping
• The strategic role of GP Federations
• Vaccination initiatives tailored to specific local needs in each NCL Borough, including outreach work with community pharmacies.
• A paediatric service review
• Primary care commissioning and the monitoring of private corporations operating in this area
• The efficacy of online GP consultations
• Increases in the number of people being charged for services that they were previously able to access free of charge through the NHS
• Mental Health & Community/Voluntary Sector

Dates of Future Meetings

The committee was scheduled to note the dates of its future meetings, which were scheduled to be:

• Monday 3 February 2025
• Monday 7 April 2025