The Adult Social Care and Health Select Committee of Kensington and Chelsea Council met on Wednesday 17 June 2026. The meeting's agenda included a review of the draft Quality Accounts for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the development of the committee's work programme for the upcoming municipal year.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Quality Accounts

The committee was scheduled to review the draft Quality Accounts for the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. These accounts are a statutory requirement for NHS Foundation Trusts, designed to report on the quality and safety of healthcare services. The purpose of these accounts is to outline the trust's performance, identify areas for improvement, and detail the actions planned to achieve these improvements. The draft Quality Accounts are intended to demonstrate the trust's commitment to enhancing services for patients and the community. The Health Act 2009 mandates the publication of these reports annually, and they are made available to the public. Local overview and scrutiny committees, such as this one, have the role of scrutinising these accounts and can provide comments in the form of a letter to the Trust, which may then be included in the final document.

Select Committee Work Programme 2026/2027

The committee was set to discuss and develop its work programme for the municipal year 2026/2027. This programme outlines the committee's areas of focus and priorities, aiming to maximise its effectiveness and influence. The development of the work programme involves identifying priorities based on the role of scrutiny, considering inputs from the public, ward councillors, officers, and Lead Members. The statutory guidance for overview and scrutiny committees highlights the importance of prioritising topics where scrutiny can add value, contribute to policy development, and hold the Council and its partners to account.

Key areas identified for potential inclusion in the work programme, as discussed in previous meetings and outlined in the report, included:

• Neighbourhood health services, involving partner organisations from the community and voluntary sector.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) services provided by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust.
• The established role of scrutinising Quality Accounts from local NHS provider trusts.
• The implementation of changes to palliative care services, including the introduction of enhanced end-of-life care beds across Hammersmith and Fulham, Westminster, and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
• The relocation of specialist children's services from the Royal Brompton Hospital site to the Evelina London Children's Hospital by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.
• The outcome of the implementation of homecare mobilisation.
• The financial position of the department's Adult Social Care and Public Health Budget, with finance scrutiny anticipated for November/December 2026.

Additionally, the committee was scheduled to consider referring a report on the re-organisation of the North West London Integrated Care Board (ICB) to the next meeting of Full Council. This re-organisation, which saw the West and North London ICB come into effect on 1 April 2026, involves a new model designed to cover 13 London boroughs. Concerns had been raised previously regarding the practical implications of this merger for patients, residents, and the local authority, particularly concerning information co-ordination, potential increased funding burdens, and clarity over the ICB's responsibilities for statutory functions such as safeguarding, Continuing Healthcare (CHC), and SEND.

The committee's work programme is developed iteratively, with adjustments made as priority issues emerge. The programme aims to balance pre-decision scrutiny and post-decision review with the development of new policy and the emergence of Key Decisions. The development of a schedule of visits was also planned to support the work programme priorities and enhance members' understanding of departmental service delivery.