The Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Monday 15 June 2026 to review the five-year strategic and operational plans of several key health bodies, including the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB), University Hospitals North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM), North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust (NSCHT), and Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT). The committee also discussed the council's work programme for the upcoming year.

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) Operational Plan and Complaints Overview

The committee received an overview of the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB's Five-Year Strategic Plan and its 2026/27 Operational Plan. The strategic plan outlines a focus on neighbourhood-based models of care, significant transformation across various health services, digital and data-enabled transformation, modernisation of primary care, and system productivity driven by value-based commissioning. The operational plan details a trajectory towards financial breakeven by 2030/31, with specific performance targets for referral-to-treatment times, cancer standards, and mental health services. A summary of formal complaints received between April 2025 and March 2026 was also presented, with the largest themes relating to All Age Continuing Care, delays in retrospective reviews, and surgical procedures at private hospitals being cancelled at short notice. Councillors raised concerns about the clarity of the operational plan and the need for more detailed reporting on progress.

University Hospitals North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) Integrated Delivery Plan 2026/27 - 2030/31

Chris Bird, Deputy Director of Strategy at UHNM, presented the Trust's five-year Integrated Delivery Plan. The plan is built around four strategic programmes: Brilliant Basics, Digital enabled Care Transformation, Future Hospital, and Partnerships & Collaboration. Key developments include the opening of a Community Diagnostic Centre in Hanley, redevelopment of the breast care unit at County Hospital, and plans for an urgent treatment centre at Royal Stoke. The Trust aims to achieve a breakeven financial plan within three years, deliver all national performance standards by 2028/29, and significantly reduce expenditure on bank and agency staff. Councillors questioned the impact of the Community Diagnostic Centre on waiting times and sought updates on Burntwood Health Centre.

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust (NSCHT) 5-year Integrated Delivery Plan 2026 - 2031

Laura Smith, Deputy Chief Strategy Officer at NSCHT, presented the Trust's Five-Year Integrated Delivery Plan. The plan focuses on prevention and early intervention, particularly for children and young people, and the shift from hospital-based care to community and neighbourhood delivery. A key ambition is the implementation of Neighbourhood Mental Health Centres. The plan also details a sustained analogue-to-digital transition, anchored by the implementation of the ORBIS U electronic patient record system. Challenges include sustained growth in demand, system dependencies, and workforce sustainability. Councillors raised questions about the location of neighbourhood mental health centres, reducing waiting times for children's mental health services, and the success of initiatives for individuals in police custody.

Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) 5-year Integrated Delivery Plan 2026 - 2031

Jenny Collier, Managing Director for services across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent at MPFT, and Colin Anderson, Deputy Director of Strategy, presented the Trust's five-year Integrated Delivery Plan. The plan is guided by five broad principles: system partnership, neighbourhood-led transformation, strengthening primary and community care resilience, mental health leadership, and scaling community models. Key priorities include reducing out-of-area placements, tackling long waits for children's services, and developing 24/7 neighbourhood offers. MPFT also highlighted its work with prisons and the location of the crisis cafe in Stafford. Councillors praised the Trust's work, particularly with mothers and babies, and inquired about the services offered to prisoners and the location of the crisis cafe.

Work Programme 2026-27

The committee discussed the proposed work programme for 2026-27. Suggestions for future scrutiny included a review of the winter plan and a deep investigation into the neighbourhood model of care. Councillors also raised the potential for working groups on winter planning and community impact assessments. Specific topics suggested for future scrutiny included maternity services at Samuel Johnson Hospital, elective care, cancer services, and the adult social care market.

The meeting also included a comfort break and the exclusion of the public for Part Two of the agenda, which involved exempt information.