The Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Health met on Friday 30 January 2026 to discuss the North Central London (NCL) Inequalities Fund, review updates on paediatric services and the North Middlesex and Royal Free Hospital merger, and consider the committee's work programme. The meeting also included a review of the NCL JHOSC Terms of Reference.

NCL Inequalities Fund

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the NCL Inequalities Fund, a £5 million annual investment aimed at addressing the root causes of health inequalities through innovative partnerships. The fund focuses on prevention, early help, and wider determinants of health, working collaboratively with communities. Funding allocation is based on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2019, with 75% distributed to individual boroughs and 25% retained for non-geographical inequalities and specific projects. The report highlighted that in 2025-26, 45 projects were delivered, supporting over 20,000 people, with 75% of project objectives met. The evaluation indicated a positive return on investment, with an estimated £5.3 million in cost mitigation against £3.6 million in costs. The report also detailed project highlights and learning from the fund's implementation, with next steps including strengthening neighbourhoods and focusing on improving outcomes for key groups.

Paediatric Services Review Update

An update was scheduled to be provided on the review of paediatric services.

North Middlesex and Royal Free Hospital Merger Update

The committee was set to receive an update on the merger between North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust and the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

NCL JHOSC Terms of Reference

The committee was scheduled to review and discuss the North Central London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee's Terms of Reference.

Work Programme

An outline of the 2025-26 work programme for the North Central London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee was presented for discussion. This included a review of usual standing items such as the Estates Strategy Update, Workforce Update, Finance Update, and Winter Planning Update, as well as potential future items like the Health Inequalities Fund, the NMUH/Royal Free merger, and the efficacy of online GP consultations.