The Lancashire Health and Wellbeing Board was scheduled to discuss the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board's NHS Medium Term Planning and 5 Year Strategic Commissioning Plan, as well as the development of Neighbourhood Health Plans across Lancashire. The meeting also included a workshop session dedicated to Neighbourhood Health Plans.

Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board NHS Medium Term Planning and 5 Year Strategic Commissioning Plan

The Board was scheduled to receive information and discuss the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board's (ICB) 5 Year Strategic Commissioning Plan and its proposed Commissioning Intentions for 2026-27. This plan is intended to guide the ICB's priorities and how it will work with partners to deliver against these. The report outlined key milestones, deliverables, and assurance expectations, as well as progress to date. The recommendation was for the Board to receive this update and consider how it could contribute to the development of the plan, and to agree that the ICB would continue to attend the Board to provide progress reports and share drafts of strategies.

The ICB's approach to developing its 5 Year Strategic Commissioning Plan is guided by population health needs assessments, clinical strategy (including the Neighbourhood Model), delivery plans for provider trusts and neighbourhood health plans, and an ICB organisational development plan. The plan aims to drive transformation and financial stability across Lancashire and South Cumbria by aligning with the NHS planning and contracting cycle. It is framed within the context of the NHS 10 Year Plan, which advocates for three key shifts: hospital to community, sickness to prevention, and analogue to digital.

The Commissioning Intentions for 2026-27 are prioritised to align with these shifts. Key strategic priorities for the ICB include improving population health and patient outcomes, addressing health inequalities, enhancing end-of-life and frailty care, and optimising intermediate care and service configuration. The report detailed specific commissioning intentions under the Hospital to Community, Sickness to Prevention, and Analogue to Digital categories, outlining both immediate actions and developmental plans.

Neighbourhood Health Plans in Lancashire

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the development of Neighbourhood Health Plans in Lancashire. The Board was scheduled to build on the learning from the Wave 1 pilot and agree on the next steps for developing wider neighbourhood health plans across the county. This initiative is seen as an important part of the Government's 10-year health strategy, shifting focus towards prevention and community-based care, supported by technology.

The report indicated that a Neighbourhood Health Plan Working Group had been established by key partners. The Lancashire Health and Wellbeing Board was expected to sign off the plan and provide strategic leadership for its delivery from 2026/27 onwards. The discussion was expected to cover the importance of addressing factors such as life expectancy, deprivation, housing, and income in improving health and wellbeing. Partners had considered defining neighbourhoods through community and stakeholder engagement, acknowledging variations in geography and service organisation, with data analysis and community feedback being essential. Lancashire was confirmed as a Wave 1 pilot site for neighbourhood health, with ongoing work in Morecambe Bay and Chorley/South Ribble.

The Board was informed that a Neighbourhood Health Plan would be developed by April 2026, which would include consensus on neighbourhood definitions, priority outcomes based on data and lived experience, the scope of services and integrated neighbourhood teams, and governance and accountability arrangements. Engagement with District Councils, community leaders, and the voluntary sector was highlighted as crucial for shaping these plans, along with links to existing health and wellbeing partnerships and the utilisation of the Better Care Fund to support the integration of health and social care.

Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment

An item of urgent business was scheduled to address the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA). Health and Wellbeing Boards have a statutory duty to publish a PNA every three years. The PNA describes current pharmaceutical provision, health needs that could be met by pharmaceutical services, and future population changes, informing decisions about future market entry. The pan-Lancashire PNA 2025 had been published, covering the area of three Health and Wellbeing Boards and managed by a steering group of officers from Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, and Lancashire County Council, along with staff from the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board and Community Pharmacy Lancashire and South Cumbria. The Board was assured that there would continue to be a six-monthly review of pharmacy provision by the PNA Steering Group until the next assessment cycle in 2028.