The Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Worcestershire Council was scheduled to discuss the annual review of public health, receive an overview from West Midlands Ambulance Service, and review its work programme. The meeting was intended to provide an update on the work of Public Health and other partners aimed at improving health and wellbeing in Worcestershire, as well as to examine the performance and challenges faced by the West Midlands Ambulance Service in the county.

Annual Review of Public Health

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the work of Public Health and its partners in Worcestershire, focusing on efforts to improve health and wellbeing. The report detailed progress made over the past 12 months and outlined future plans for 2026. The Public Health Department's work spans various areas, including family and child health, adult health improvement, health protection, mental health and wellbeing, emergency planning, data and intelligence, and community development.

In the area of family and child health, the report highlighted initiatives aimed at providing children with the best start in life, from maternity health through to school development. It noted a significant increase in children in low-income families and the associated health risks. Specific programmes mentioned included maternity health, with positive data on reduced low birth weights and smoking in pregnancy, and early years support through Health Visitors and Family Hubs. The report also detailed the Healthy Schools programme, which provides grants for initiatives supporting physical activity and mental health, and noted increased physical activity rates among children in several districts, though a decline was observed in Redditch. Efforts to keep children safe and secure were also outlined, with a focus on youth services and substance misuse support.

For adult health improvement, the report emphasised the significant impact of non-medical factors on health outcomes. Initiatives such as the Healthy Worcestershire programme, which integrates physical activity, social connection, and lifestyle change, were highlighted, with positive outcomes reported. The Work Well Live Better programme aims to improve the health impact of employment by supporting businesses, and a Workplace and Employee Wellbeing Grants Programme was also mentioned. Significant reductions in smoking rates among adults were reported, with Worcestershire achieving one of the lowest rates in England.

Health protection measures for both children and adults were also scheduled for discussion. This included strategies for managing communicable diseases, vaccination programmes, and environmental hazards. Specific attention was given to measles, with efforts to maintain high MMR uptake, and infection prevention campaigns like Clean Hands, Safe Hands. The report also touched upon health protection in prisons and the commissioning of sexual health services, including a circuit breaker initiative to address rising sexually transmitted infections.

The committee was also set to review Public Health's role in suicide prevention and promoting mental wellbeing, including the Orange Button Suicide Prevention Programme. Emergency planning and business continuity efforts were detailed, including participation in national exercises and response to incidents like Storm Darragh. The report also covered data and intelligence functions, including novel analytics for priority neighbourhood development and the Neighbourhood Health Development Framework. Finally, community development work, focusing on an asset-based ethos and grant programmes, was presented as a key strategy for health improvement and social connection.

The report indicated that Public Health had achieved a financial turnaround, remaining within its budget while improving key outcomes and contributing to other council departments. The committee was asked to consider and comment on this information and determine if further scrutiny was required.

Overview from West Midlands Ambulance Service

The committee was scheduled to receive an overview from the West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust (WMAS) regarding ambulance services in Worcestershire. The report noted that while WMAS had previously reported substantial improvements in response times, hospital handover delays had worsened, impacting overall performance. Despite additional resources deployed by WMAS, the increase in handover delays had led to deteriorating response times. The report highlighted that the number of ambulances arriving at hospitals had remained flat or reduced, despite an ageing population. WMAS has implemented demand management strategies, including a clinical validation team and a call before you convey process, to find alternative pathways for patients and reduce unnecessary Emergency Department conveyances.

The report detailed actions being taken to address hospital handover delays, referencing improvements in the south-west region and a commitment by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and Wye Valley NHS Trust to implement a maximum wait of 45 minutes for handovers. WMAS has also mandated a process for crews to discuss patients with a single point of access before conveyance and has placed specific focus on nursing homes. The financial implications of additional capacity to mitigate delays were also mentioned, with contract mediation resulting in a settlement of £23 million. The report stressed the strong link between handover delays, response times, and patient safety, referencing a coroner's report that cited ambulance handover delays as a factor in a death. The committee was asked to consider this information and determine if further scrutiny was needed.

Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to review its work programme for the upcoming year. This programme is part of the council's rolling Annual Scrutiny Work Programme. The report listed future meeting dates for 2026 and outlined the issues for scrutiny, including the Annual Review of Public Health, an overview from West Midlands Ambulance Service, and access to GP appointments. It also indicated potential future items such as updates on dental services, maternity and newborn services, and cancer pathways. The committee was asked to consider the work programme and agree on any amendments, while retaining flexibility for urgent issues.