The Cabinet Member for Health and Communities, Councillor Mark Nuti, was presented with the revised 2026/27 Better Care Fund Section 75 Agreement between Surrey County Council and NHS Sussex and Surrey Integrated Care Board. This agreement is intended to ensure the continuation of integrated health and social care services for residents.

Better Care Fund and Section 75 Agreement 2026/27

Councillor Mark Nuti, Cabinet Member for Health and Communities, considered the revised 2026/27 Better Care Fund (BCF) Section 75 Agreement. This agreement, which follows the expiry of the previous 2025/26 agreement on 31 March 2026, facilitates the pooling of funds between Surrey County Council and NHS Sussex and Surrey Integrated Care Board. The BCF is a national programme designed to integrate health and social care services, aiming to improve outcomes for residents and reduce demand on acute services.

The revised agreement includes minor amendments to governance arrangements and the management of underspends, while maintaining the established approach to integrated commissioning and pooled budgets. The 2026/27 BCF Plan itself had already been approved by system partners and endorsed by the Health and Wellbeing Board on 17 June 2026.

The BCF supports Surrey County Council's priorities of Tackling Health Inequality and Empowering and Thriving Communities, aligning with the No One Left Behind initiative. It enables integrated health and social care services, supports timely hospital discharge, helps prevent unnecessary admissions, and assists residents in remaining independent within their communities for longer. The pooled budget for 2026/27 totals £137.7 million, comprising contributions from the NHS, the Disabled Facilities Grant, and local authority funding.

The report highlighted that failure to approve the agreement would risk non-compliance with national BCF requirements and jeopardise pooled budget arrangements. The agreement ensures continued access to funding and supports the council's statutory functions under the Care Act 2014 and the National Health Service Act 2006, which promote integrated health and social care provision. The Disabled Facilities Grant, part of the BCF, can also support eligible disabled children and young people through home adaptations, positively impacting vulnerable children and adults.

The consideration of this agreement is a step towards the formal execution of the Section 75 Agreement for 2026/27, enabling partner organisations to continue to deliver the approved Better Care Fund Plan. Performance and financial monitoring will proceed through established BCF governance arrangements, and funding will be distributed and managed in accordance with the plan and national requirements.