The Health Improvement Partnership Board met on Thursday 25 June 2026 to discuss a range of public health matters. Key topics included a review of performance reports, an update from Healthwatch Oxfordshire, and plans for preventing harms caused by gambling, drug, and alcohol use. The board also received an update on the Keystone Hub mental health service.

Performance Report

The board was scheduled to receive a performance report presented by Derys Pragnell, Consultant in Public Health at Oxfordshire County Council. This report was intended to provide an overview of key outcomes and supporting indicators within the Oxfordshire Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2024-2030. The indicators are grouped under the overarching priorities of Healthy People, Healthy Places (including Healthy Weight, Smoke Free, and Alcohol-related harm) and Physical Activity and Active Travel (including Physical Activity, Active Travel, and Mental Wellbeing). The report detailed current performance, including new data for several indicators, and highlighted changes to measures for the 2026-27 period. It also proposed additional measures for mental wellbeing monitoring.

Report from Healthwatch Ambassador

Katharine Howell, Healthwatch Ambassador, was scheduled to present a report from Healthwatch Oxfordshire. This report would have provided insights into the experiences of people in Oxfordshire regarding health and social care services. Healthwatch Oxfordshire gathers feedback through various methods, including surveys, outreach, and community research, with a focus on hearing from seldom-heard groups. The report was expected to detail community research findings on topics such as cancer and access to healthcare, the experiences of older Chinese people, and maternity experiences of Black women. It was also to outline the launch of a How to Guide for community action research and provide updates on engagement in rural areas and insight summary reports on GP services, mental health services, and musculoskeletal services.

Preventing the Harms Caused by Gambling

Tom Addey, Acting Consultant in Public Health, and Suzanna Miles, Public Health Practitioner, were due to present on preventing the harms caused by gambling. This new public health requirement, supported by additional funding, aims to address the responsibilities of local authorities in this area. The discussion was expected to cover the progress and plans for delivering these responsibilities and their impact on communities. The report outlined the national landscape, including the introduction of a statutory gambling levy and the allocation of funding to local authorities for gambling harms prevention. It detailed strategic objectives for the Oxfordshire Gambling Harms Prevention Programme, which include building local capacity, developing a health needs assessment, strengthening partnerships, embedding prevention within local policy, increasing awareness, and reducing health and social inequalities. The report also referenced local and national evidence on gambling harms, including definitions and statistics for Oxfordshire, and discussed the policy context, such as gambling premises licensing under the Gambling Act 2005.

Key Priorities for Supporting People who use Drugs and Alcohol

Tom Addey, Acting Consultant in Public Health, and Sam Read, Public Health Programme Manager, were scheduled to present on key priorities for supporting people who use drugs and alcohol. The discussion was intended to describe the main drug and alcohol issues affecting Oxfordshire residents and outline the direction for a new Oxfordshire Drugs and Alcohol Strategy for 2027-2030. The proposed strategy aims to make Oxfordshire a place where it is easier for everyone to live a life free from drug and alcohol harms. The strategy is built around five aims: tackling underlying causes, addressing drug supply-related harm, strengthening prevention and early intervention, improving treatment and harm reduction, and supporting recovery and long-term success. Cross-cutting themes include reducing inequalities, tackling stigma, embedding lived experience, and improving partnership working. The report detailed the health needs assessment findings, highlighting that while Oxfordshire's drug and alcohol harms are lower than national averages, harm is not evenly distributed, with higher rates in areas of deprivation and among inclusion health groups.

Update on the Keystone Hub Mental Health Service

Bhavna Taank, Head of Joint Commissioning LC Live Well, was scheduled to provide an update on the Keystone Hub mental health service. The discussion was expected to cover how the service is progressing at a community level and how it supports people affected by alcohol, drugs, and gambling.