The Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire met on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, to discuss plans for secondary care in response to demographic changes, the development of Neighbourhood Health, and the Quality Accounts for 2025/2026. The committee also reviewed its work programme.

NHS Planning for Secondary Care in response to Demographic Changes

The committee was scheduled to receive a report from the NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) concerning its plans for secondary care, taking into account the changing demographics within Lincolnshire. Charley Blyth, Director of Communications and Engagement for the NHS Lincolnshire ICB, and Simon Hopkinson, Communications Manager for the NHS Lincolnshire ICB, were expected to be in attendance for this discussion.

Neighbourhood Health Planning

Two reports were scheduled for consideration regarding Neighbourhood Health, a key component of the NHS Ten Year Health Plan. The first, jointly produced by Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group and Lincolnshire County Council Public Health, outlined the national Neighbourhood Health Policy Framework published in March 2026 and Lincolnshire's local approach. This report detailed progress in establishing a place-based, partnership-led model, including the creation of the Lincolnshire Neighbourhood Health and Care Board and the development of integrated neighbourhood teams. Alison Christie, Head of Prevention and System Oversight for Public Health, Rachel Belcher, Public Health Programme Manager, and Nick Blake, Programme Director for Primary Care, Communities and Social Value Directorate at the NHS Lincolnshire ICB, along with Simon Hopkinson, were expected to provide updates.

The second report, from the NHS Lincolnshire ICB, focused on the development of Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs). It described the national requirements for NHCs, including service and estate expectations, and how this work was being coordinated across the Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire ICB cluster. The report detailed the process for identifying potential sites and the funding context, with an emphasis on refurbishing existing buildings and the potential use of public-private partnerships for new builds.

Quality Accounts 2025/2026

The committee was set to receive an update on the Quality Accounts for 2025/2026 from Kiara Chatziioannou, Health Scrutiny Officer. This item involved reviewing the work of the Quality Accounts Working Group, which had considered draft Quality Accounts from two of the five partners, with submissions from the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) and Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (LPFT) expected shortly. A Quality Account from North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust had also been received, and the committee was invited to consider its inclusion in the working group's review.

Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire - Work Programme

A report was scheduled to be presented by Kiara Chatziioannou, Health Scrutiny Officer, inviting the committee to consider and comment on its forthcoming work programme. This included noting confirmed items for future meetings and identifying any items for inclusion or removal from the programme.

The committee's previous meeting on 13 May 2026 had discussed the Maternity and Neonatal Programme, Quality Accounts 2025/2026, and the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire Work Programme. During that meeting, discussions had touched upon the challenges faced by carers in Lincolnshire, as detailed in a Healthwatch Lincolnshire report, and the experiences of care home managers, as outlined in another Healthwatch report. The committee had also noted the University of Lincoln's Dental Desserts campaign aimed at raising awareness of dental access challenges.

The report pack also included correspondence from Councillor Richard Cleaver, Chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire, to local Members of Parliament regarding concerns about community pharmacy pressures and the security of medicines supply across Lincolnshire. This letter highlighted financial pressures on community pharmacies, increasing medicines shortages, and the impact on patient access and service resilience. The appendix to the letter detailed key recommendations for treating medicines security as a national priority, publishing a UK-wide medicines supply strategy, and strengthening UK manufacturing and critical supply chains.

Additionally, the report pack contained information on the Neighbourhood Health Policy Framework and the current approach in Lincolnshire, detailing the national policy direction and Lincolnshire's local implementation plans. It also provided information on Neighbourhood Health Centres, outlining national guidance on service and estate requirements and the local planning process within the Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire ICB Cluster.

The report on Quality Accounts 2025/2026 summarised the work of the Quality Accounts Working Group, which had reviewed draft Quality Accounts from six NHS partners: Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, East Midlands Ambulance Service, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Trust, Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust, United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust. The report provided summaries of the Working Group's comments and reflections on each of these accounts.

Finally, the report on the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire Work Programme detailed confirmed items for forthcoming meetings, including NHS Winter Planning, Non-Emergency Patient Transport, and updates on GP Services, Dentistry, and Community Pharmacy. It also listed items to be programmed, such as an overview of Hospital Discharge Arrangements, Stroke Services at United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and Maternity and Neonatal Services updates.