The Health and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to discuss winter pressures on the NHS, the work of Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire, and performance updates on health, public health, and community services. Key concerns raised included the lack of detailed written information for scrutiny, the ongoing challenges of hospital discharge, and the need for clearer data on public health indicators.

Winter Pressures

Representatives from the Integrated Care Board (ICB), University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL), and East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) provided a verbal update on preparations for winter 2026/27, as the formal Winter Plan was still under development and awaiting ICB board approval. Councillors expressed frustration at the lack of a written report, making meaningful scrutiny difficult.

Eileen Doyle, Chief Delivery Officer for the ICB, outlined a £5 million investment in addressing winter pressures, focusing on GP access, single points of entry into urgent care, and neighbourhood health initiatives. Sarah Taylor, Director of Urgent and Emergency Care at UHL, detailed plans for staged capacity increases, including additional beds and new initiatives like an acute virtual ward and a paediatric same-day emergency care unit. Hannah, from EMAS, highlighted an increase in frontline workforce numbers and additional ambulances across the East Midlands region, alongside enhanced senior support for crews and a critical care desk.

Despite these efforts, councillors voiced concerns about the lack of preparedness in providing written documentation for scrutiny, the ongoing challenges in primary care access, and the potential for summer pressures to become as significant as winter pressures. There was a strong emphasis on the need for better public information on when to access different healthcare services, with suggestions for improved communication strategies and the potential use of AI for initial diagnoses. The issue of hospital discharge delays was also raised, with assurances that improvements were being made but not yet fully eliminating the problem.

Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire Annual Report 2025-26

Fiona Barber, from Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire, presented the organisation's annual report, highlighting significant increases in public engagement and the number of people receiving information and advice. Key achievements included extensive work on neighbourhood mental health cafes, a review of women's health, a supported living review, research into hospital discharge, and a review of healthcare access for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.

The report detailed priorities for 2026-27, including a focus on the Pharmacy First programme, digital access to NHS services, and tackling health inequalities, particularly concerning young people's healthy weight and lifestyles. Councillors praised the value for money and the quality of information provided by Healthwatch, but also raised concerns about the potential abolition of Healthwatch England and local Healthwatches, with a recent announcement suggesting ministers might amend the Health Bill to preserve an independent voice.

Specific discussions arose regarding the Latham House GP practice in Melton Mowbray, where access issues were highlighted, and the need for expanded GP services in rapidly growing areas. The report's findings on hospital discharge, particularly the lack of patient involvement and communication, were noted with concern.

Health, Public Health and Communities Performance Update

Andy Brown, Team Leader from Business Intelligence at the County Council, and Zafar Saleem, Assistant Chief Executive, presented an update on performance across health, public health, and communities. The report noted changes in the ICB's performance reporting due to restructuring, with a verbal update provided instead of a full dashboard.

Public Health Performance: The report highlighted 14 green indicators, 18 amber, and 5 red indicators. Areas of concern included HIV late diagnosis, STI testing rates, NHS Health Checks, breastfeeding prevalence, and adult overweight/obesity rates. Councillors expressed a desire for more detailed information on the reasons behind the red indicators and the specific actions being taken to address them. The decline in cervical cancer screening rates, while breast and bowel cancer screening improved, was also a point of discussion.

Better Care Fund and Adult Care Health/Integration Performance: The performance against Better Care Fund metrics for 2025/26 was reviewed. While emergency hospital admissions for those aged 65+ met the target, discharge delays and residential admissions for older people were off target. Analysis into the reasons for increased residential admissions was ongoing.

Communities Performance: A new draft strategic plan for communities was presented, with four key aspirations: a Better Leicestershire for residents, communities, the economy, and the Council itself. Priority areas include community safety and resilience, fostering volunteering and community activity, and improving access to green spaces. A new dashboard was introduced, incorporating national Local Outcomes Framework metrics. Highlights included increased resident satisfaction with their local area and higher rates of volunteering. However, concerns were raised about the percentage of people feeling they can influence local decisions (20.1%) and a decrease in the perception that people from different backgrounds get on well together. The measurement of community resilience was also discussed, with reference to the LLR Risk Ready Programme.

The committee noted the significant amount of data presented and the ongoing efforts to improve performance across all areas, while also acknowledging the challenges and the need for more detailed analysis and forward-looking plans.