The Health Scrutiny Committee of North Northamptonshire Council met on Thursday 5th February 2026 to discuss the performance and availability of General Practice and dental services. The committee reviewed current performance data, identified areas for improvement, and made recommendations for future action.

General Practice Performance and Availability

The committee received an update on General Practice performance and availability from the Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board (ICB). It was reported that over five million GP appointments were delivered in the previous year, with activity increasing by 3.2% compared to the year before. October 2025 was noted as the busiest month on record for GP appointments. Northamptonshire was performing well regionally in terms of appointments per thousand patients. A local GP dashboard has been developed to monitor variations in access, workforce, clinical performance, and screening.

Investment through the Utilisation and Modernisation Fund has allowed twenty practices to expand their clinical space. A pilot scheme in Wellingborough, set to launch in April 2026, will test a same-day access model aimed at increasing urgent capacity and freeing up GP time for managing long-term conditions.

Concerns were raised by committee members regarding phlebotomy services, specifically the travel requirements and accessibility of appointments. Officers confirmed that approximately 800,000 blood appointments are conducted annually across the county and that a system-wide review of phlebotomy services is planned.

During the discussion, members questioned whether the appointment figures accurately reflected repeat attendances and how DNA (Did Not Attend) rates were monitored. They also enquired if the increase in appointment numbers had led to improved patient experience, and raised concerns about telephone access, digital exclusion, and variations between practices. The committee also asked if patients with long-term conditions who were not engaging with services were proactively identified.

In response, officers clarified that appointment figures represent individual appointment events, with repeat attendances counted separately. DNA data is available and is used for practice-level monitoring. Patient experience data will be enhanced through new patient insights reporting. GP systems are capable of identifying patients who have not engaged with services for extended periods. Phlebotomy access has reportedly improved compared to the previous year and will be subject to further review.

The Health Scrutiny Committee resolved to recommend that a future update be provided on variations between GP practices, including access, DNA rates, and patient experience data. They also recommended receiving the evaluation outcomes of the Wellingborough neighbourhood early innovator model once available, and an update on the planned review of phlebotomy services, including any proposed improvements to accessibility.

Dental Performance and Availability

The committee was presented with information on dental access and performance across North Northamptonshire. It was noted that five dental contracts had been terminated between 2020 and 2023, leading to a significant reduction in activity. Currently, thirty-seven contracts are operational locally, delivering just under 500,000 Units of Dental Activity (UDAs). Dental delivery has shown improvement post-pandemic, with 76% of contracted activity delivered in the previous year, and further improvements are anticipated.

Recruitment incentives, such as Golden Hello payments, are in place in deprived areas. Overperformance schemes have resulted in approximately 17,000 additional UDAs being delivered, and 40,000 UDAs have been rebased from underperforming contracts for recommissioning. Northamptonshire has successfully exceeded its target for urgent dental care appointments. National contract reform is scheduled to be introduced from April 2026.

During the discussion, members expressed concern that adult access rates for dental services remained below national averages. They questioned the effectiveness of recruitment incentives and sought clarity on whether rebased UDAs would be rapidly recommissioned. The committee also highlighted inequalities in dental access and their impact on urgent and emergency services, and requested further information on how contract reform would improve long-term access.

Officers responded by stating that delivery has steadily improved since COVID-19, with further gains expected. They explained that rebasing allows funding to be redirected to providers capable of delivering services and that recruitment initiatives are targeted using deprivation data. Urgent care targets have been met locally, and further national contract reforms are anticipated in 2026.

The Health Scrutiny Committee resolved to recommend that a further update be provided on the delivery of rebased and newly commissioned dental UDAs. They also recommended receiving an update on the impact of urgent dental care commissioning on access, and an update following the implementation of national dental contract reforms in April 2026.

Health Scrutiny Work Plan

The committee noted the Health Scrutiny Work Plan as it relates to their committee.