The Tower Hamlets Health and Wellbeing Board met on Monday 15 June 2026 to discuss the future vision for health and well-being in the borough and to ratify the Better Care Fund Plan for 2026-27. The Board also received an update on the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment.

Future Vision for Health and Wellbeing

The Board engaged in a significant discussion about its future vision and purpose. Councillor Sabina Akhtar, Chair of the Board, opened the discussion by highlighting the desire for the Board to be more responsive to the immediate and long-term health concerns of residents. The core purpose of the Health and Wellbeing Board was defined as to improve health in Tower Hamlets and address inequalities by bringing together key individuals who can influence change and looking at the whole picture of factors impacting health, including housing, employment, and poverty, alongside health and care services.

A key theme throughout the discussion was the importance of ensuring residents' voices are heard effectively. Matthew Adrien, Service Director at Healthwatch Tower Hamlets, posed several questions via online chat, including how to share the Board's impact in plain English, how to integrate community voices without duplication, how to reach underserved groups, and whether Board members should conduct site visits. He also suggested inviting other sectors such as the police, housing, leisure services, and faith leaders to occasional meetings.

Board members participated in an exercise to share personal experiences and identify what they could offer the Board. Contributions highlighted the importance of lived experience, the service user perspective, understanding challenges faced by children and young people, the impact of housing on health, and the need for collaboration and asking difficult questions. Several members emphasised the need for clearer communication, timely papers, and an open, non-judgmental environment for discussions. Concerns were also raised about the timing of meetings, with a preference expressed for daytime sessions over evenings due to the demands on officers and councillors who often have full-time roles and family commitments.

Better Care Fund Plan 2026-27

The Board was asked to ratify the Better Care Fund (BCF) Plan for 2026-27, which had been submitted nationally on 19 May 2026. Eleea Islam, Programme Lead for the Better Care Fund, presented the plan, explaining that it is a national programme requiring the Council and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) to jointly agree how integrated preventative care is delivered. The plan brings together NHS and local authority funding streams, including the NHS minimum contribution, the Better Care Grant, and the Disabled Facilities Grant.

Councillor Saied Ahmed raised concerns about the allocation of the £68 million BCF budget, questioning whether ratifying the plan meant agreeing to the specific allocation or just the high-level funding. He also inquired about the process for reallocating funds if pressures arose in adult social care. Officers explained that some funding streams are ring-fenced, and any reallocation would require decommissioning of existing services and would depend on the specific funding conditions. They assured the Board that the plan addresses pressures in adult social care, including a new scheme for intensive one-to-one home care for complex discharge cases.

The Board discussed the BCF's role in preventative care measures, with a question raised about how issues like air pollution and mould in housing, which trigger asthma and respiratory diseases, would be considered. It was noted that while there isn't a specific BCF scheme for this, the upcoming reform of the BCF to become a financial enabler for the neighbourhood health model would provide scope to address such preventative measures.

Concerns were also raised about the technological elements of care delivery, with a question about ensuring service delivery without failure, given past issues with IT upgrades. Bridget Cameron, Interim Director for Commissioning for Adult Social Care, explained that Tower Hamlets is leading the tech-enabled care element within the North East London commissioning network, but that progress has been impacted by other urgent service demands.

Despite some reservations about the allocation process and the need for more detailed explanation, the Board ultimately agreed to ratify the plan, with the proviso that further discussions and explanations would be provided, potentially in separate meetings, and that the Board would have the opportunity to review and vary the plan throughout the year. This ratification was deemed necessary to secure national assurance and receive the BCF funding.

Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment Update

Gemma Lyons, Associate Director of Public Health, provided an update on the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA). She explained that the PNA is a statutory responsibility that must be published every three years, with the current assessment being a refresh of the 2023 PNA. The PNA informs decisions on the opening of new pharmacies. A draft PNA will be available for a 60-day public consultation in July 2026, and the final report will be presented to the Health and Wellbeing Board in September for endorsement. Board members were invited to attend a meeting in late June/early July to hear about the findings before the public consultation.

A question was raised regarding the cooperation with pharmacists in Tower Hamlets, particularly concerning issues like substitute prescribing and dispensing of controlled medication, and whether pharmacists felt it was worthwhile to dispense to individuals with substance misuse issues. It was stated that at present, feedback from pharmacists in Tower Hamlets has not indicated these specific concerns, but the consultation process for the PNA will provide an opportunity to gather this feedback directly.

The meeting concluded with a brief discussion on GP access, with a suggestion to include this as an agenda item for a future meeting. The Chair also indicated that a mechanism would be put in place for members to submit ideas for future agenda items.