The Redbridge Council Health Scrutiny Sub-committee met on 17 June 2025 to elect a chair and vice-chair, receive updates on health protection and other relevant bodies, and discuss the sub-committee's work programme for 2025/26. No decisions were made during the meeting, aside from agreeing the Sub-committee Work Programme for 2025/26.

Sub-committee Work Programme for 2025/26

The Health Scrutiny Sub-committee discussed and agreed on topics for inclusion in their work programme for the upcoming year. The agenda notes that the Scrutiny Officer, in consultation with the Chair, Vice Chair, and Spokesperson, will confirm specific agenda items for future meetings.

The confirmed standing items for each meeting are:

• Health Protection Update (verbal)
• Update from relevant bodies

The proposed meeting dates are:

• 25 September 2025
• 26 November 2025
• 26 January 2026
• 23 February 2026
• 21 April 2026

Election of Chair and Vice Chair

The first item on the agenda was to elect a Chair and Vice Chair for the 2025/26 municipal year. The agenda stated that the committee would seek nominations from its members for these roles. The outcome of the election was not detailed in the provided documents.

Health Protection Update

The Director of Public Health and Commissioning was scheduled to provide a verbal update on health protection matters. However, the specifics of this update were not detailed in the provided documents.

Updates from Relevant Bodies

The committee was scheduled to receive verbal updates from members regarding their involvement with the following bodies:

• Outer North East London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee
• Whipps Cross Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee
• Health and Care Policy Development Committee

The details of these updates were not provided in the available documents.

Previous Meeting Reports

The committee was due to review the reports from the previous meetings held on 17 December 2024 and 14 January 2025.

Key topics discussed in the 17 December 2024 meeting included:

• Maternity Services: The Maternity Scrutiny Task and Finish Group (TFG) presented its outcome report, which reviewed the provision of inpatient maternity delivery services to Redbridge residents following the closure of the King George Hospital (KGH) Maternity Inpatient Unit a decade prior. The report highlighted the need to consider the rising population and complex healthcare needs in Redbridge, as identified in the 2021 Census Data. Recommendations focused on future service provision, improving the experience of service users (particularly from BAME communities), and ensuring equitable maternity services with choice for Redbridge residents. The North East London Local Maternity and Neonatal System (NEL LMNS) was acknowledged to have produced its first Maternity Strategy and Action Plan.
  • The committee discussed the transfer of deliveries to Queen's Hospital and Whipps Cross Hospital after the KGH unit closure. The BHRUT Chief Nurse noted the reduction in births compared to pre-COVID levels and the significant investment and staffing required to re-establish a maternity unit in Redbridge.
  • The BHRUT Chief Nurse reported improvements in pathways for women, including those requiring complex care or translation services, and highlighted the role of the Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP) in providing antenatal classes in various languages and supporting the needs of service users.
  • The Health Scrutiny Sub-committee noted the report and referred it to Cabinet.
• Primary Care Access: An update was provided on primary care access following the publication of the Access Recovery Plan. The presentation highlighted national policy, local context and data, and initiatives to empower patients and improve access.
  • The Clinical Director noted an 8% increase in appointments despite challenges such as a rising population and a shortage of GPs and nurses in Redbridge. The benefits of team-based practices and new approaches like digital appointments were also discussed.
  • The Head of Primary Care agreed to provide further details on patient demographics using the NHS app and access issues broken down by PCN[^1]. [^1]: Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are groups of GP practices working together to deliver integrated and personalised care to their local populations.
  • The Health Scrutiny Sub-committee noted the update.
• Health Protection: The Director of Public Health and Commissioning reported a decrease in Respiratory Syncytial Virus and COVID-19 activity but a rise in flu activity, particularly among younger age groups and residents over 85 with underlying conditions. There had been no further reported cases of Mpox.
  • The Health Scrutiny Sub-committee noted the report.

Key topics discussed in the 14 January 2025 meeting included:

• Cervical Screening: Healthwatch Redbridge presented a report on cervical screening, highlighting findings from a national review and local insights. The report aimed to make recommendations to improve screening uptake and meet the NHS England target to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.
  • The report noted that screening rates in Redbridge were significantly lower than London and England averages. Issues identified included inconsistent screening invitations, barriers to access for disabled women, and a lack of available NHS data on ethnicity and disability.
  • The Director of Partnership, Impact and Delivery agreed to seek a response from the NEL Cancer Alliance regarding catch-up screening for women who missed appointments during COVID-19.
  • The Health Scrutiny Sub-committee noted the report and agreed to receive updates on subsequent stages of the project.