This article summarises the agenda for the North Central London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting scheduled for 28 April 2025, according to the public reports pack. The meeting was expected to cover mental health pathways, and the committee's work programme. It was also scheduled to confirm the minutes of previous meetings.

Mental Health Pathways

A report was scheduled to be presented, providing an update on mental health pathways in North Central London (NCL). The update was expected to focus on:

• Improving the transition from children and young people’s (CYP) services to adult mental health services for those aged 18-25.
• Improving information sharing between organisations.

The report notes that since 2022, steps have been taken to reduce variation in services between boroughs, and that a Core Offer for Mental Health Services has been developed and is being implemented across a multi-year programme. The report states that approximately £50 million has been invested to meet growing needs and reduce variation, with a large proportion of this directed towards services in Barnet, Enfield and Haringey.

The report also highlights the availability of 24/7 crisis services, including phone lines, Crisis Cafés, home treatment teams and the Mental Health Crisis Assessment Service (MHCAS). It also mentions Community Mental Health Teams that provide personalised support for mental, physical and social needs.

The report identifies challenges including the consistency of support and coordination between services, which it states are being addressed through improved planning, partnership working, and investment in neighbourhood-based care and digital tools.

The report includes a case study of a 17-year-old named Kwame with autism and ADHD who had been supported by CAMHS since the age of 14. The report describes how a transitions worker joined a CAMHS meeting before Kwame turned 18, and how a keyworker visited him every week while he was in hospital.

The report also discusses digital enablers for effective information sharing, including:

• The London Care Record (LCR), which allows professionals across London to view a person’s health and care details in one place.
• GP Connect and MESH, which help send information directly to a person's registered GP practice automatically and securely.
• Patient Knows Best (PKB), which allows people to see their own health information through the NHS app and share it with others.
• NHS Wayfinder Services, which helps people and carers view appointments and referrals via their NHS app, linked with Patient Knows Best.
• Blood test results integration, so that blood test results from labs can now be shared more easily between services through LCR and PKB.

The report also provides an overview of the North London Foundation Trust (NLFT) adult community single point of access (SPA), which aims to ensure that referrals are directed to the right service immediately. The plan is to establish this in Barnet by June 2025, with the service extended to the remaining five boroughs by March 2026.

Finally, the report outlines NCL’s neighbourhood model, which aims to shift services from hospital to community, implement early intervention programs, and utilise digital tools to enhance care delivery.

Work Programme 2025-2026

The committee was expected to discuss its work programme for 2025-26. The report pack included a table with the dates of future meetings, but the items for discussion were listed as TBC (to be confirmed).

The report pack also included a list of usual standing items each year:

• Estates Strategy Update
• Workforce Update
• Finance Update
• Winter Planning Update

Finally, the report pack included a list of possible items for inclusion in future meetings:

• Terms of Reference – revised version for JHOSC ToR to be discussed/approved by Committee.
• St Pancras Hospital update
• Health Inequalities Fund update
• NMUH/Royal Free merger follow-up
• Smoking cessation & vaping
• The efficacy of online GP consultations
• Developing technology and its role in the management of long-term chronic conditions
• Strategic role of GP Federations
• Vaccination initiatives tailored to specific local needs in each NCL Borough including outreach work with community pharmacies
• Paediatric service review
• Primary care commissioning and the monitoring of private corporations operating in this area
• Increases in number of people being charged for services that they were previously able to access free of charge through the NHS (e.g. dentistry/ear wax syringing)
• Mental Health & Community/Voluntary Sector update

Minutes

The committee was scheduled to confirm and sign the minutes of the North Central London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings on 25 July 2024 and 3 Feb 2025 as a correct record.