The Bexley Health and Wellbeing Board met on Tuesday 16 June 2026 to discuss the Better Care Fund returns for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 financial years, and to review updates on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Reform Plan. The meeting also included a discussion on the Annual Public Health Report for 2025/26, an update on the Queen Elizabeth Hospital's Care Quality Commission rating, and a quarterly summary from the Bexley Wellbeing Partnership.

Better Care Fund Assurance Return 2026-27

The Board was presented with Bexley's Better Care Fund (BCF) Assurance Return for 2026-27. This return outlines how BCF funding, totalling £97.056 million, will be used to support integrated and preventative care across the borough. The plan aligns with the Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy and the NHS South East London Integrated Care Board's (ICB) Five-Year Strategic Commissioning Plan, focusing on areas such as ageing well, long-term conditions, support for carers, and reducing inequalities. The report detailed local goals for non-elective admissions, discharge delays, and admissions to care homes, with strategies in place to support improvement against these national metrics. The Board was asked to formally approve the Assurance Return.

Better Care Fund End of Year Return 2025-26

This report sought the Board's sign-off for the BCF End of Year Return for 2025-26. The return confirmed compliance with national conditions and reported on BCF metrics and expenditure for the year. Key findings indicated that Bexley was on track to meet its goal for emergency admissions of people aged 65 and over, based on the DHSC dashboard data. While performance on discharge delays did not consistently meet planned levels, the majority of patients were discharged without delay, and where delays occurred, they were typically of short duration. Provisional data showed that new long-term admissions to residential and nursing care for people aged 65 and over were below the planned target. The report also provided updates on supporting metrics, including avoidable admissions, emergency hospital admissions due to falls, discharge to normal place of residence, inpatient length of stay, and outcomes following short-term support.

Update on the Local Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) Reform Plan

The Board received an update on the progress of Bexley's SEND Reform Plan, developed in response to requirements from the Department for Education and NHS England. The plan aims to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND by fostering collaborative local partnerships and evaluating the maturity of current practices. The report detailed the timeline for developing the Local Maturity Assessment Tool, Data Template, and the Local SEND Reform Plan, which involved workshops, consultations with parents, young people, and professionals, and data analysis. The plan is structured around seven pillars, including co-production, system leadership, data utilisation, service delivery, partnerships, workforce development, and resource management. The report highlighted the principles of SEND reform: early, local, fair, effective, and shared support, and outlined the financial implications of the reforms, including changes to funding arrangements and the potential impact of the cessation of the Safety Valve Programme. The final draft plan was scheduled for submission on 19 June 2026.

Annual Public Health Report 2025/26

The Annual Public Health Report (APHR) for 2025-26 was presented, offering a long-term perspective on Bexley's health up to 2050. It emphasised the significant impact of daily living conditions, such as where residents live, work, and socialise, on their health, advocating for sustained, cross-council prevention efforts. The report identified obesity, mental health, neighbourhood health inequalities, environmental pressures, and digital exclusion as the most significant long-term health risks. It called for a unified, whole-council and system-wide approach aligned with Bexley's 2050 Vision, recommending the endorsement of cross-council prevention priorities, support for neighbourhood-based delivery models, embedding Health in All Policies across council functions, and the development of a shared outcomes framework.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital Care Quality Commission Rating Improvement

This report provided an update on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection outcome for Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), part of the Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust. The hospital's overall rating had been upgraded to Good, reflecting sustained improvements in the quality of care, leadership, multidisciplinary working, and patient experience. Key improvements highlighted included increased capacity with over 100 new beds, the opening of a new Same Day Emergency Care unit, and investment in diagnostic scanning facilities. While acknowledging the overall positive outcome, the report noted that further improvement was required in the consistency of the Safe domain.

Bexley Wellbeing Partnership - Quarterly Summary

The Board received a positive update on the Bexley Wellbeing Partnership's progress. The report highlighted three main areas: the proposed Strategic Investment Fund delivery plan, which outlines a neighbourhood-based model focused on integrator development, frailty and ageing well, multiple long-term conditions, children and young people, prevention, and digital and workforce enablers; progress in Bexley's digital transformation programme, including high NHS App uptake and the positive impact of the getUbetter app; and investment in primary care and community outreach supporting earlier intervention and improved access. The report indicated good progress towards shifting care towards prevention, neighbourhood delivery, and joined-up community-based support. The Board was asked to note these highlights and endorse the overall direction of travel.

Public Questions

The Board set aside time for public questions, with a protocol in place for residents to submit written questions in advance of the meeting.

Items for Information and Any Other Business

The Board was invited to consider the draft workplan for 2026/27. This workplan outlined scheduled items for future meetings, including BCF returns, annual reports from the Safeguarding Adults Board and Bexley S.H.I.E.L.D., updates on suicide prevention, population health management, the Integrated Health and Wellbeing Strategy, and further updates from the Bexley Wellbeing Partnership. The Board was informed that the workplan might be subject to change due to potential shifts in the role of Health and Wellbeing Boards.