The Health and Wellbeing Board meeting on Monday 29 June 2026 was scheduled to discuss updates on health equity programmes, the Better Care Fund, and the findings of the latest Newham Residents Survey. The meeting also included a review of the Healthwatch Newham update and a discussion on the strategic approaches of the North East London Integrated Care Board.

Healthwatch Newham Update

Dianne Barham, Chief Executive of Local Voice / Healthwatch Newham, was scheduled to present a report titled Insights for system understanding: inequalities in service experiences in Newham. The report aimed to highlight key themes emerging from community insight gathered across Newham, exploring how local people experience health and care services. It was noted that while people generally reported positive experiences once they accessed services, access remained a significant challenge. Inequalities were frequently observed before care was delivered, and prevention activity was found to be most effective when addressing capability, opportunity, and motivation. The report was intended to recommend that the Health and Wellbeing Board note the findings, recognise the value of community insight, support the combination of lived experience with service activity and population intelligence, encourage partner collaboration, and consider how the findings could inform the Board's priorities.

Newham Health Equity Programme: Children's Journey

Laura Eden, Corporate Director of Children and Young People, was scheduled to provide an update on the Newham Health Equity Programme, focusing on the Children's Journey. The report was intended to outline the development and growth of the Children's Directorate over the past 20 months, with a focus on identifying and addressing disproportionality, equality, and structural racism. The approach had previously been shared with the Newham Senior Leadership Forum. The key point highlighted was that leadership on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, with a specific focus on tackling racism, inequality, and disproportionality, is not only ethical and legally compliant but also leads to improved services, outcomes, and efficiency. The recommendation was to adopt this approach across the work of the Health and Wellbeing Board to achieve prevention health and wellbeing outcome goals.

Better Care Fund 2026-27

The Board was scheduled to review the Better Care Fund (BCF) 2026-27 Narrative and Numerical returns. The BCF is a national programme that pools NHS and local government resources to integrate adult health and social care services, aiming to help people live independently for longer, reduce hospital admissions, and support timely hospital discharge. In Newham, the BCF sits within the Improving Outcomes Together Section 75 agreement, which is broader than the national BCF criteria and includes areas such as Children and Young People and health inequalities.

The narrative return was intended to detail the strategic approach to using BCF funding to maximise integrated and preventative care, linking it to neighbourhood health and social care services. It was intended to highlight the diverse and dynamic population of Newham, with significant levels of deprivation and health inequities. The plan was intended to outline a continued joint approach between the Integrated Care Board (ICB), the Local Authority, and NHS providers, building on previous plans and aligning with national priorities.

Specific areas of planned investment and their contribution to achieving goals were intended to be detailed. These included neighbourhood-based proactive care to contain non-elective admissions, integrated reablement services, equipment provision, mental health step-down facilities, homeless hospital teams, and joint packages of care. The plan was also intended to address preventing avoidable long-term care home admissions through enhancing extra care capacity and maximising home-based care, as well as improving outcomes from reablement. The narrative return was also intended to explain the rationale for setting goals for non-elective admissions and delayed discharges, with a focus on maintaining current rates for admissions and reducing delays in discharges.

The numerical template was intended to provide details on the income and expenditure for the BCF 2026-27, with a total BCF pooled budget of £234,810,810. The expenditure breakdown was intended to show planned spending across various categories, including long-term home-based and residential care, assistive technologies, and discharge support.

What the latest Newham Residents Survey reveals about population health

Mairead Ryan, Policy, Research and Partnerships Manager, was scheduled to present findings from the 2025 Newham Residents Survey. This biannual survey gathers residents' views on various topics, including council perceptions, local services, and wellbeing. The 2025 survey involved face-to-face interviews with 1,523 residents and highlighted that rising living costs were the second biggest concern for residents, after crime and anti-social behaviour. The survey also indicated that only 49% of residents rated Newham as a good place to grow older, despite projections showing a significant increase in the 65+ population. Disparities in experiences and outcomes were highlighted across different demographic groups, including disabled residents, social renters, Black residents, and residents with no religion. The survey also provided insights into communication and engagement preferences. The Board was invited to note the findings, consider a dedicated workshop to explore the data further, and share the report with partners.

NEL ICS Strategic approaches to meeting Newham population need

Charlotte Pomery, Chief Strategic Commissioning Officer for NEL ICB, was scheduled to provide an update on the strategic approaches of the North East London Integrated Care Board (ICB). The report was intended to outline the ICB's evolution to become a leaner organisation focused on strategic commissioning, driving improvements in population health, tackling health inequalities, and shifting care from hospital-based to community-based. The new structure was intended to include four key departments: Finance and Resources, Strategy and Insights, Clinical and Quality Commissioning, and Strategic Commissioning. The report was also intended to detail the Place and Neighbourhood Delivery structure, with Jo Frazer-Wise leading the Inner North East London area, which includes Newham. The Board was asked to note and discuss the detail of this update.

Neighbourhood Health in Newham: Delivering Together for Residents

Dr Rima Vaid, Clinical Director for Neighbourhoods, and Ryan Suyat, Senior Manager for Neighbourhood Delivery, were scheduled to present on Newham's neighbourhood approach to health and care. This approach aims to bring together partners across the NHS, the London Borough of Newham, and the voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector to deliver more coordinated, locally responsive services. The report was intended to outline the national aims of neighbourhood health, including improving health outcomes, reducing inequalities, and integrating services around the person. It was also intended to detail Newham's partnership approach, including a draft Memorandum of Understanding and principles for partnership with the VCFSE sector. The presentation was intended to highlight the establishment of 8 community neighbourhoods within 4 localities and outline priorities for 2026/27, such as developing Integrated Neighbourhood Teams and strengthening primary care access. The role of the Health and Wellbeing Board in providing strategic leadership and supporting alignment across partners was also to be discussed.

Health and Wellbeing Board Development Process

Christina Cornwell and Jahaan Abdurahman were scheduled to present on the Health and Wellbeing Board Development Process. They were to outline that the Board was at a moment of significant change, with new political leadership, local government reform, changes to NHS commissioning, and a new national framework for neighbourhood health. This presented an opportunity to strengthen its role and build a place-based partnership. The proposed approach was intended to include understanding perspectives, agreeing on the future role, membership, ways of working, and work plan, and supporting induction and transition. Emerging insights were intended to suggest a need for renewed clarity on the Board's purpose, stronger collective ownership, enhanced leadership engagement, and a more direct connection to resident voice. The Board was invited to discuss which of the emerging insights and opportunities resonated most strongly and how the development process could help the Board make the most of this opportunity.