The Health and Wellbeing Board of Ealing Council met on Thursday 10 September 2026 to discuss updates on the Better Care Fund and progress on neighbourhood health and partnership working. The meeting also included a review of the minutes from the previous meeting.

Better Care Fund Update

The Board was scheduled to receive an update on the Better Care Fund (BCF) for 2026/27. The BCF is a key mechanism for delivering integrated and preventative care across Ealing, building on a preventative and integrated neighbourhood model developed over several years. The plan for 2026/27 reflects an in-depth analysis of system demand and capacity, with a focus on managing flow through intermediate care and specialist step-down support. The BCF investment continues to support homelessness, the voluntary sector, reablement, and bridging services. Nationally, the BCF framework for 2026-27 signals a commitment to developing neighbourhood health services to provide more systematic and effective support for people with complex health and social care needs. This includes intermediate care for 'step-up' and 'step-down' needs, aiming to enable people to retain or recover independence and reduce non-elective admissions and delayed discharges. The total pooled budget for Ealing's BCF in 2026-27 is £59.97 million, allocated across various schemes including assistive technologies, bed-based intermediate care, discharge support, and wider local support to promote prevention and independence. The report indicated that Ealing had received assurance for its BCF plan from the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England.

BBP - Neighbourhood Health and Partnership

The Board was also scheduled to receive an update on the Ealing Borough Based Partnership (BBP) progress in developing Neighbourhood Health and strengthening partnership working. This initiative aims to address Ealing's challenges, including health inequalities, increasing demand, population ageing, and mental health needs, by developing more joined-up, preventative, and community-based services. The National Neighbourhood Health Framework, published in March 2026, sets out how Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), local authorities, and partners should develop neighbourhood health services. Key expected outcomes include improved health outcomes, reduced inequalities, increased proactive care for people with complex needs, greater independence, more joined-up working, and a shift in resources from hospitals to neighbourhood settings. The report highlighted Ealing's progress in establishing neighbourhood footprints and leadership arrangements, with a focus on embedding a consistent operating model and strengthening neighbourhood delivery. It also detailed achievements in tackling inequalities, such as the Health Equity Team and the Roots & Wings programme, and outlined the development of the West and North London Neighbourhood Model, which aims for a whole neighbourhood system focused on preventative and proactive approaches. The report detailed Ealing's deliverables for 2026/27, including the opening of a refurbished Carmelita House, the implementation of an Assertive Outreach Team for Mental Health, the mobilisation of Child Health Hubs, and the establishment of a 24/7 Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre. The role of West London NHS Trust as the 'Integrator' was also discussed, focusing on coordinated delivery, clinical leadership, and operational infrastructure.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The Board was asked to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 10 March 2026. The minutes from that meeting detailed an update on the Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC), which had been renamed Evidence and Learning for Health. This programme, funded by the National Institute for Health Research, aims to build research capacity in local government around the wider determinants of health. The update included information on the programme's progress, including the training of community researchers, the formation of action research groups, and work on data linkage. The minutes also covered a report from Healthwatch Ealing on its review of the Careline service, which found that most users felt safe and independent, although concerns were raised about communication during the service's transition between Ealing and Harrow. Recommendations included improving communication with residents and increasing promotion of the Careline service.