The Gloucestershire Health & Wellbeing Board meeting scheduled for Tuesday 28 July 2026 was set to discuss the Better Care Fund Plan for 2026-27 and the development of a new Healthy Weight Strategy for the county. The meeting agenda also included an update on the 'health and housing' strategic priority.

Better Care Fund Plan 2026-27

The Board was scheduled to consider the Better Care Fund (BCF) Plan for 2026-27. The BCF is a national initiative involving NHS England, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Department of Health and Social Care, and the Local Government Association. The plan for Gloucestershire outlined a reduction in the number of schemes from 53 to 34 for categorisation purposes, with minimal changes to overall funding. The local goals for metrics focused on stabilising and reducing where possible, in anticipation of upcoming BCF reforms and service redesign.

The BCF is described as a key enabler of integrated health and care, aligning with Gloucestershire's strategic priorities for prevention, early intervention, and community-based support. Investment is closely aligned with the Neighbourhood Health model, supporting Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs) that bring together various health and social care services. Funding continues to focus on areas such as domiciliary care, reablement, community healthcare, palliative care, carers' support, and Home from Hospital services. The principle of Home First aims to help people recover and remain independent at home, reducing hospital admissions and reliance on long-term care.

The rationale for the metric goals, particularly for non-elective admissions (NEAs) for people aged 65 and over, emphasised stabilisation and reduction. The ambition was to reduce NEAs from 1,470 to 1,454 per 100,000 population, despite increasing demand. Targets were also set for improving discharge performance, aiming to increase discharges on the ready date and reduce average discharge delays. The plan also detailed the expansion of reablement services.

Gloucestershire's approach to the BCF involves using population health analysis to identify priority groups and target investment. The highest forecasted growth is expected in people with complex health needs, with older people living with frailty identified as a key priority cohort. The BCF funding is intended to support integrated, community-based services that promote independence, prevent hospital admissions, improve discharge processes, and reduce long-term care needs.

Value for money and productivity were to be assured through a demand-led planning process, with funding targeted at services that prevent ill-health and promote independence. Benefits Realisation Modelling was to drive efficient resource use, and integrated working and pooled budgets through Gloucestershire's Working as One programme were highlighted as ways to improve coordination and streamline care pathways.

Governance and oversight were to be managed by the Gloucestershire Commissioning Partnership Group (GCPG), with overall accountability held by the Health and Wellbeing Board. Performance was to be monitored through key indicators including emergency admissions, discharge delays, intermediate care capacity, and residential and nursing care admissions.

Development of the Healthy Weight Strategy 2026-2036

The Board was also scheduled to receive an update on the development of the Gloucestershire Healthy Weight Strategy (2026-2036). This strategy aims to build on existing work across the county to support healthy weight outcomes. It seeks to establish clear governance and accountability, and to take a system-wide stocktake of current commitments and opportunities.

The strategy acknowledges that many root causes of unhealthy weight are shaped by national and global social, environmental, commercial, and economic pressures. It aims to address weight-related inequalities, noting that nearly 3 in 10 Year 6 children in the most deprived areas live with obesity, a rate twice as high as in the least deprived communities. Around 1 in 4 adults in Gloucestershire live with obesity, and around 1 in 5 are physically inactive. The strategy also highlights that certain groups, including people with disabilities, severe mental illness, long-term conditions, and some ethnic communities, face additional risks.

The vision for the strategy is for Gloucestershire to be a place where every resident has the opportunity to maintain a healthy weight. The mission is to shape environments where healthy choices are the easy choice, challenge weight stigma, and act on the social and economic drivers of obesity. The principles guiding the strategy include recognising that unhealthy weight is driven by wider inequalities, focusing on early intervention, addressing root causes, acknowledging complex factors beyond individual choice, reducing stigma, and prioritising overall health and wellbeing.

The strategy is organised around five pillars for action: Healthier places and settings; More children and adults moving; More children and adults eating a healthier diet; Person-centred support for health and weight; and Embracing system-wide approaches. These pillars are informed by research on effective local authority approaches to tackling unhealthy weight. The strategy outlines short-term (1-3 years), medium-term (4-7 years), and long-term (8-10 years and beyond) outcomes, aiming for generational change.

The delivery approach includes engagement with local experts and stakeholders, and the use of established partnerships. A 10-year implementation plan is proposed, with pillar leads overseeing delivery. Key enablers for the strategy's success include leadership and governance, the voluntary and community sector, equality, diversity, and inclusion, data and intelligence, research and evaluation, workforce development, social value, communications, and behavioural science.

The Board was asked to endorse the strategy, champion healthy weight as a system priority, support alignment across partner strategies, and provide oversight.

Health and Housing

An update was also scheduled on the 'health and housing' strategic priority, which is included within the Gloucestershire Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy. This priority focuses on the intersection of health outcomes and housing conditions within the county.