The Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee met to discuss several reports and updates, including the Moorfields Eye Hospital annual performance, and the public health performance report for quarter three. The committee also agreed to focus its annual scrutiny review on healthy life expectancy, incorporating smoking action, healthy weight initiatives, drug and alcohol programmes, and active travel.

Reablement Service Privatisation Concerns

Audrey Berry, Unison's social services convener, raised concerns about the proposed privatisation of the reablement service¹. She argued that privatisation would not save money and would breach a commitment in the staff manifesto. Berry urged the committee to fully scrutinise the proposal before any decision is made, suggesting that director-level posts, which have reportedly doubled since 2017, could be examined for alternative savings.

Moorfields Eye Hospital Annual Performance Update

Sheila Adam, Chief Nurse and Director of Allied Professionals, and John Spencer, Chief Operating Officer, presented Moorfield's Eye Hospital’s annual performance update. They highlighted the hospital's strategy to prevent avoidable sight loss and its achievements, including developing single points of access for eye services across North Central London (NCL).

Key points from the presentation:

• Performance: The hospital is performing well, with 82.5% of patients seen within 18 weeks, although not yet achieving the 92% standard.
• Opportunities: Moorfields is interested in using digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve clinical pathways.
• Challenges: Financial constraints and the increasing presence of the independent sector in London pose challenges.
• Priorities: Focus on day-to-day care, a new electronic patient record, and the upcoming Oriel relocation.

Referrals have increased, particularly for specialist services like paediatrics. The hospital is working to manage these increases within its financial resources, focusing on staff and patient engagement.

Moorfields is also the lead provider for ophthalmology in NCL, which includes responsibilities for ensuring patient choice and high-quality referrals.

Healthcare Inequalities

As lead provider, Moorfields is working to address healthcare inequalities by establishing a group with the Integrated Care Board (ICB) and other providers to define metrics for monitoring inequalities in access to ophthalmic services. They plan to meet with community and voluntary services to understand the data and develop strategies to address the identified inequalities.

Relocation to St Pancras

The relocation to the new Oriel centre is progressing, with a focus on interiors and engaging staff and patients in the move. The new centre aims to improve access to education, research, and flexible space for evolving models of care.

Patient Experience

Moorfields is committed to maintaining high standards of care and patient experience through its patient experience framework, which includes patient experience principles and increased opportunities for patient engagement. Virtual services are expanding, offering convenience and immediate access for patients.

Research and Innovation

Moorfields is collaborating with Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) on genetic sequencing to identify and treat the causes of inflammation in patients' eyes. They have also appointed the first ophthalmic nurse professor in the country with University College London (UCL), Professor Roxanne Prospinawobi, who will focus on underserved communities and equitable access to research.

Moorfields and UCL have partnered with Topcon Healthcare to launch Cascada Limited, a company focused on transforming eye disease detection and management through AI.

Questions from Councillors

• Councillor Valerie Bossman-Quarshie asked about data on BME community participation in trials and the uptake of digital services among different demographics.
• Councillor Toby North raised concerns about waiting times at different sites and the transition to the new Oriel centre for patients.
• Councillor Benali Hamdache asked about partnership work with local authorities for the prevention of sight loss and contingency planning for potential strikes.
• Councillor Janet Burgess MBE inquired about Camden Council's commitment to road alterations near the new hospital site and the expansion of AI in service delivery.
• Councillor Asima Shaikh asked about recruitment and engaging local university students and overseas students in the trust's work.

Public Health Performance Report: Quarter Three

Councillor Dr. Sarah Hyde, the new lead member for health and adult social care, presented the quarter three performance report for public health. She highlighted her priority of improving services for residents with substance misuse issues.

Key highlights from the report:

• Smoking Cessation: The success rate for people using the stop smoking service is above target at 66%, higher than the London and England averages.
• Health Checks: The year-to-date activity rate for health checks for those aged 70-74 is ahead of the annual target.
• Opiate Addiction Treatment: The number of adults accessing treatment for opiate addiction has increased significantly, and Islington is being used as a national case study.

Councillor Hyde noted that vaccination rates were stubbornly refusing to move upwards, and Jonathan O'Sullivan, Director of Public Health, confirmed that public sentiment around vaccination was moving away from vaccination, particularly after COVID.

Questions from Councillors

• Councillor Burgess noted that vaccination rates were stubbornly refusing to move much.
• Councillor North asked about service improvement plans for drug and alcohol treatments.
• Councillor Hamdache inquired about the possibility of safe consumption rooms and drug testing, as well as the Metropolitan Police carrying naloxone².
• Councillor Bossman-Quarshie asked about the communications strategy for promoting the council's work and reaching hard-to-reach communities.
• Councillor Shaikh asked about vaping among young people and work within schools to address this.

Scrutiny Review Topic Selection

The committee selected healthy life expectancy as the topic for its annual scrutiny review. The review will focus on:

• Smoking action
• Healthy weight (including food and nutrition, and active travel)
• Drug and alcohol programmes

Work Programme

The committee agreed to the work programme for the coming year, which includes reports on accommodation in adult social care, scrutiny review updates, and performance reports from various health organisations.