The Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Monday 20 July 2026 to discuss the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board's (ICB) five-year commissioning plan and their lessons learned from the 2025/26 winter period. The committee also reviewed district and borough health scrutiny activity and the committee's work programme.

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent 5-Year Commissioning Plan

Mish Irvine, Chief of Staff for the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB, presented the five-year commissioning plan, which aims to deliver the ambitions of the NHS 10-Year Plan. The plan focuses on five key shifts: moving care from hospitals to communities, transitioning from analogue to digital ways of working, shifting from sickness to prevention, improving access to services, and enhancing value and productivity.

Key initiatives include expanding neighbourhood multidisciplinary teams, increasing community urgent response services, and strengthening intermediate care and discharge pathways. The plan also aims to implement shared digital records, expand remote monitoring, and improve digital access in primary care. Targeted prevention programmes for conditions like cardiovascular disease, obesity, and mental health are prioritised, alongside efforts to improve access to primary care, mental health services, and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) pathways.

Councillors raised concerns about workforce capacity, financial pressures, digital readiness, system flow, partnership complexity, and estate constraints. Specific questions were asked about the impact of Local Government Reorganisation on funding allocation and the potential for privatisation of NHS services. The ICB assured the committee that efforts were being made to ensure equitable access and that community capacity would be established before services were shifted from hospitals.

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB 2025/26 Winter Lessons Learnt

Gareth Wright, Director of System Improvement, Coordination, Emergency Preparedness and Response and Resilience, and Dr. Steve Fawcett, Clinical Director for Operational Matters, presented the findings from the 2025/26 winter review. The review highlighted sustained and prolonged system pressures, with improvements in Category 2 ambulance response times but ongoing challenges with ambulance handover delays, particularly at Royal Stoke University Hospital. Emergency department performance remained below national expectations, with a focus on improving 12-hour wait times.

Key themes for future planning include admission avoidance through expanded community-based alternatives, a whole-system approach to discharge, workforce sustainability, and maintaining a strong safety culture. The plan for 2026/27 will focus on data-driven approaches, prioritising high-impact schemes, strengthening community capacity, and simplifying governance. Specific priorities include vaccination programmes, virtual wards, expanding seven-day working, and improving elective care.

Councillors raised concerns about the early onset of winter pressures, the flexibility of capacity mobilisation, and the impact of staff fatigue. The committee received assurances that lessons learned from critical incidents would inform future plans and that efforts were being made to improve workforce well-being. Recommendations were made to establish measurable targets for staff well-being, implement a communications campaign to highlight alternative care options, and consider a permanent discharge ambulance.

District and Borough Health Scrutiny Activity

Councillor Norman reported on the Lichfield District Council's full council meeting and the health scrutiny task group's focus on local plans and GP access in new developments. Councillor Swindlehurst outlined the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council's shift in focus towards a legacy plan, concentrating on well-being and determinants of ill health, particularly for an ageing population with long-term conditions and rural health challenges.

Councillor Swindlehurst also proposed lobbying the government for increased NHS funding, suggesting a need to identify specific areas where funding is most required. This initiative was met with general support, with a commitment to gather more detailed information from relevant officers before proceeding. Councillor Luca raised concerns about the attendance of district and borough representatives at county meetings, highlighting the importance of consistent engagement to ensure local concerns are represented.

Work Programme

The committee reviewed and approved the work programme for 2026/27. Councillor Swindlehurst raised concerns about the lack of focus on heat-related health issues and the protocols around health visiting, particularly regarding the number of visits for families with multiple births. Councillor Doherty highlighted the need to improve rural transport for NHS services. The committee agreed to take these points forward for further consideration.