The Adults Health and Integration Scrutiny Commission met on Tuesday 13 October 2026 to discuss improving outcomes for Black women in acute and community mental health services in Hackney. The meeting heard evidence from Public Health, the East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT), and primary care representatives, and also received an update on the recommencement of home birth services at Homerton Hospital.

Improving Outcomes for Black Women in NHS Acute and Community Mental Health Services

The commission began its review into improving outcomes for Black women in acute and community mental health services. Angela Burns, Principal Public Health Specialist, presented data from recent strategic needs assessments, highlighting that while common mental health conditions like anxiety and depression are prevalent across Hackney, severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are disproportionately higher among Black Caribbean and other Black ethnicities. She noted that data analysis often lacks intersectional detail, making it difficult to fully understand the specific experiences of Black women.

Jed Francique, ELFT City & Hackney Borough Director, presented initial data and insights from ELFT services. He highlighted an overrepresentation of Black or Black British women in referrals and caseloads across community, inpatient, and crisis services, with a particularly significant overrepresentation in early intervention for psychosis and perinatal services. Data on inpatient admissions to female acute wards showed Black women making up 35% of current admissions, a notable increase from their 22% proportion of the female population. Restrictive interventions, including physical restraint, seclusion, and rapid tranquilisation, were also discussed, with Black service users accounting for 63% of restraint episodes where ethnicity was recorded. ELFT is undertaking significant work on race equity, including developing an anti-racism strategy and implementing the NHS Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF).

Primary care representatives, including Dr. Karthika Vijayatharan, Clinical Lead for Mental Health for NHS NEL, shared insights into the challenges faced by GPs in supporting Black women with mental health conditions. They highlighted time constraints, workload pressures, and the difficulty of navigating idioms of distress and historical mistrust of services. The presentation also touched upon the barriers presented by digital exclusion and the limitations of current talking therapies in addressing systemic issues like racism. GPs expressed concerns about long waiting times for specialist services, with some patients waiting up to nine months for psychiatric assessment.

Home Birth Services at Homerton Hospital

Brenda McManus, Chief Nurse at Homerton Healthcare, provided an update on the home birth services. She confirmed that the service had fully recommenced operations on 9 October 2026, following a temporary pause for a service review and improvement work. This review was supported by an independent external maternity expert and the local maternity and neonatal system. Ms. McManus apologised for the disruption caused to nine women whose planned home births were affected and confirmed that all affected women were offered individual discussions, alternative birth preferences, and support from independent midwives or the Whips Cross home birth team.

Medical Centre Closures and Patient Transfers

Dr. Zara Jojo-Park, Clinical Director for Neighbourhood Development at the Integrated Care Board, addressed concerns regarding the termination of leases for two GP practices at the Medina Road premises. She confirmed that the Integrated Care Board has been in discussions with the practices and the building owner to find alternative accommodation, with Dalston Practice in particular engaging with the building owner. Patient communications regarding these changes are being advised to be sent out as soon as possible, with the Integrated Care Board implementing timeframes to ensure timely notification.