The North West London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Thursday 19 March 2026 to discuss a range of significant health service matters across the region. Key topics included a planned temporary move of specialist children's heart, lung, and critical care inpatient services, an update on cancer prevention and early diagnosis initiatives, and plans for transforming a specialist learning disability CAMHS ward. The committee also reviewed its recommendations tracker and its work programme for the upcoming year.

Planned Temporary Move of Specialist Children's Heart, Lung, and Critical Care Inpatient Services

The committee was scheduled to consider a briefing paper detailing a planned temporary consolidation of specialist children's heart, lung, and critical care (CRIC) inpatient services. This move, from Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT), is proposed due to clinical risk escalation regarding the safety and sustainability of the paediatric cardiac surgical service. The intention is to consolidate these services at the Evelina London Children's Hospital and St Thomas' Hospital site. The paper highlighted that the current 1:2.5 on-call rota for the cardiac surgical workforce cannot be sustained beyond April 2026 without compromising patient safety. The move is also driven by the need to meet national Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) standards for co-location of services. Outpatient clinics, day-case procedures not requiring sedation, and outpatient imaging services are expected to remain at their current sites. The relocation of cardiac surgery necessitates the temporary move of paediatric respiratory inpatients, as these services rely on the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) which would become unsustainable at the Royal Brompton Hospital (RBH) site without the cardiac surgery programme. The briefing paper outlined the impact on specialist respiratory sub-services, including Cystic Fibrosis (CF), Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD), Severe Asthma, Long-Term Ventilation (LTV) and Sleep Medicine, and Rare Lung Disease and Thoracic Surgery. It also detailed the proposed facility changes, governance and regulatory oversight, and patient involvement plans. The move is scheduled to begin in mid-May 2026 and is considered a temporary measure until a formal, commissioner-led long-term options appraisal and service reconfiguration process is completed.

Cancer Prevention and Early Diagnosis Across North West London

The committee was set to receive an update on the landscape of cancer provision across North West London (NWL). This report, prepared by RM Partners NHS Cancer Alliance, was intended to update stakeholders on the work undertaken to improve cancer prevention, lung screening participation, and early diagnosis. Key areas of focus for RM Partners include prevention strategies, such as increasing HPV vaccination uptake and supporting smoking cessation through augmented offers for lung screening participants. The report was also to detail progress on cancer screening programmes, including the directly commissioned Lung Screening Programme and support for the cervical self-screening pilot. A significant focus was placed on early diagnosis, with work in primary care aiming to reduce variation and optimise diagnostic processes before referral. This includes a Quality Improvement (QI) programme involving GP practices to improve the timeliness and quality of urgent suspected cancer referrals. The report was expected to highlight an overall increase in early diagnosis rates across NWL since 2019, with a narrowing of the gap between least and most deprived areas. Additionally, an update on changes at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC) was scheduled, detailing a public consultation underway for relocating the centre to a purpose-built facility adjacent to the acute hospital in Watford. The case for change for MVCC centres on improving access to essential acute hospital services, providing a modern environment, strengthening staff recruitment and retention, and improving care closer to home.

Transforming the Crystal House Specialist LD CAMHS Ward

The committee was scheduled to discuss plans for transforming the Crystal House Specialist Learning Disability Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (LD CAMHS) ward. The current inpatient model at Crystal House was described as no longer meeting patient needs or aligning with national priorities and upcoming legislation for the care of children and young people with learning disabilities. The report highlighted the unit's low usage, high cost, and long length of stay, with an average of only four admissions per year across all London boroughs, and only 11 from NWL over six years. The proposed changes aim to implement a new model of care focused on earlier, community-based support, which is expected to reach up to 40 times more children and young people. This new model prioritises prevention and early intervention, aiming to reduce costly admissions to hospital and residential placements. The report detailed how the £2.9 million annual running cost of Crystal House would be reinvested into the CAMHS pathway, with a minimum of £1.75 million remaining in North West London. The proposed model involves community care, assessment, and only short, focused hospital admissions if clinically necessary, with a swift return to community support. Next steps included the discharge of the current patient by the end of March 2026, the implementation of a transitional model in April 2026, and the full embedding of the new model by October 2026.

North West London JHOSC Recommendations Tracker

The committee was due to review the North West London JHOSC Recommendations Tracker, which provides a summary of scrutiny recommendations made and information requests submitted during the 2023/24, 2024/25, and 2025/26 municipal years. This tracker allows the committee to monitor decisions made by NHS bodies and track the progress of implementation. Updates to the tracker from the previous meeting were to be highlighted.

North West London JHOSC 2025/26 Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to note the North West London JHOSC 2025/26 Work Programme. This programme outlines the health policy areas the committee plans to review during the municipal year, focusing on the plans and actions of the North West Integrated Care System and its Integrated Care Board. The work programme is designed to be flexible and adaptable, with potential for items to change or be deferred. Two new agenda items were added for the 19 March 2026 meeting: the Planned Temporary Move of Specialist Children's Heart, Lung, and Critical Care Inpatient Services and Transforming the Crystal House Specialist LD CAMHS Ward. The items Digital Health, Data Use, AI and Digital Inclusion and Weight Loss Drug Supply and Roll Out were deferred to the 2026/27 municipal year. The meeting on 19 March 2026 was confirmed to be hosted by the London Borough of Brent.