The Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Monday 20 July 2026. The committee received a presentation on the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board's (ICB) five-year commissioning plan, which aims to translate national NHS priorities into local action through five key shifts: moving care from hospitals to communities, transitioning from analogue to digital ways of working, shifting focus from sickness to prevention, improving access to services, and enhancing value and productivity. Key initiatives discussed included expanding neighbourhood multidisciplinary teams, increasing community urgent response services, and implementing shared digital care records. Councillors raised concerns about potential increased pressure on community services, the need for robust digital infrastructure, and ensuring digital transformation does not widen health inequalities. The ICB committed to providing further detail on specific targets and the outcomes framework in future reports.

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

The committee received a report on the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent (SSoT) Five-Year Strategic Commissioning Plan for 2026/27–2030/31. The plan is built around five key shifts: moving care from hospitals to communities, transitioning from analogue to digital ways of working, shifting focus 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 implementing shared digital care records. The plan also prioritises targeted prevention for conditions like cardiovascular disease and mental health, alongside efforts to improve access to primary care and reduce waiting times. Financial sustainability and workforce development are central to the plan, with a focus on integrated teams and staff well-being.

During the discussion, councillors raised concerns about the potential for increased pressure on community services, the need for robust digital infrastructure, and the importance of ensuring that digital transformation does not widen health inequalities. Councillors also sought assurances on how the plan would be monitored and evaluated, particularly regarding measurable improvements in patient outcomes and experience. The ICB committed to providing further detail on specific targets and the outcomes framework in future reports.

SSoT ICB 2025/26 Winter Lessons Learnt

The committee received a presentation on lessons learned from the 2025/26 winter period from representatives of the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB). The presentation highlighted sustained system pressures throughout the winter, with improvements in Category 2 ambulance response times but ongoing challenges with ambulance handover delays, particularly at Royal Stoke University Hospital. Emergency department performance for four-hour and twelve-hour targets remained below national expectations, reflecting system flow constraints.

Key themes identified for future planning included the critical importance of discharge safety as a whole-system responsibility, sustained pressure on the workforce leading to fatigue and retention challenges, and the impact of high-pressure environments on patient safety culture. The interdependence of discharge, workforce well-being, and patient safety was emphasised.

The committee was informed of progress made in areas such as admission avoidance through community-based alternatives, and improvements in hospital flow through initiatives like the Home for Christmas campaign and expanded seven-day discharge facilitation. However, challenges remain with virtual wards, housing delays, and the need for earlier mobilisation of schemes.

For the upcoming 2026/27 winter planning, priorities include adopting a data-driven approach, focusing on high-impact schemes, strengthening community capacity, developing clear system metrics, simplifying governance, and expanding seven-day working. Specific service priorities include vaccination programmes, virtual wards, high-volume user services, and ensuring elective care is not compromised. The ICB committed to providing more detailed performance data and metrics to the committee throughout the winter period.

District and Borough Health Scrutiny Activity

Updates were provided on scrutiny activities undertaken by District and Borough Councils. Lichfield District Council is considering a holistic review of services, while Stafford Borough Council plans to invite Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service to discuss winter protection for the elderly. The committee noted the importance of wider participation from District and Borough representatives.

A proposal was put forward to lobby the government for increased NHS funding, with councillors agreeing to gather specific evidence from relevant officers on areas of greatest need before proceeding. Concerns were also raised about the lack of consistent attendance from some District and Borough representatives at scrutiny meetings.

Work Programme

The committee reviewed its work programme for 2026/27. Councillors raised concerns about the lack of specific focus on health visiting protocols and the impact of heatwaves on public health. They also highlighted the need to investigate rural transport for NHS services. The ICB agreed to take these concerns forward for consideration.

The committee also discussed the need for more detailed information on the impact of the five-year commissioning plan, particularly regarding measurable targets and how improvements would be monitored. They requested to receive performance dashboards throughout the winter, rather than solely after the period had concluded. Recommendations were made to establish measurable targets for staff well-being in emergency departments, implement a communications campaign on alternative care options, and consider a permanent discharge ambulance service to improve efficiency.