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Summary
The Health and Wellbeing Board was scheduled to meet on 14 July 2025 to discuss several strategic health priorities for Lewisham. These included the election of a vice-chair, a review of the minutes from the last meeting, and updates on drug, alcohol, and tobacco strategic priorities. The board was also expected to discuss and approve the Health and Wellbeing Strategy for 2025-2030 and receive updates on the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment, and the Better Care Fund.
Election of Vice Chair
The board was scheduled to elect a vice-chair for the municipal year 2025/26.
Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco Strategic Priorities
The board was asked to agree to the Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco (DAT) strategic priorities for 2025-28. The report before the board outlined the process for developing these priorities and sets out the key activities for the next 12 months.
The strategic priorities focus on six main areas:
- Culture change and community impact to challenge stigma associated with addiction and reduce the impact addictions have on the wider communities affected
- Prevention and early intervention to remove the demand for drugs, alcohol and nicotine (including vapes) and recognise and support those who are identified early in their experience
- Minimise harm and protect health and the environment to minimise the harm to communities and families from substance misuse, alcohol and drugs, and protect people's health and the negative impacts on our environment
- Treatment and recovery to have world class treatment and recovery services in Lewisham that allow residents to get support and guidance when they need it, how they need it and who they need it from
- Community safety to ensure all residents in Lewisham feel safe, connected and supported to their neighbourhood and communities
- Emerging challenges to have a system that is flexible, agile and responsive enough to be able to cope with changing and emerging challenges affecting the populations and communities in Lewisham around alcohol, tobacco and drugs.
The report noted that between 2019 and 2023 there had been a focus from central government on tackling addictions. Independent reports had found years of disinvestment in prevention, treatment and recovery for addictive substances had unintended consequences, worsening the health and wellbeing of those vulnerable. It stated that in Lewisham, alcohol specific mortality rates have risen, along with under 75s mortality rates from alcoholic liver disease and admission episodes for alcohol-specific conditions. It also noted that although smoking prevalence rates in the borough are declining, rates are higher in those from more deprived areas and with long term mental health conditions, increasing inequalities amongst residents.
The report stated that in Lewisham's substance using population, there have been increases in hospital admissions for substance misuse in 15–24-year-olds, and in the proportion of those in treatment not showing progress, at the same time as the numbers in treatment were decreasing with a growing unmet need.
The report said that additional funding from the DATRIG and Stop Smoking Services grant provided the opportunity for an injection of investment in services, and requires strategic priorities to direct stakeholders, allowing some flexibility for innovation.
The report stated that the strategic priorities align with Lewisham's Corporate Priorities, as set out in the council's Corporate Strategy (2022-2026): Safer Communities and Health and Wellbeing.
The report also referred to the UK Chief Medical Officer's 2016 guidelines on alcohol intake, HM Government's 2023 plan to create a smokefree generation, and the government's 2021 10-year drugs strategy, From harm to hope.
Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025-2030
The board was scheduled to review and approve the final draft of the Lewisham Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025-2030. The strategy sets out the priorities for improving the health and wellbeing of the local population and how the identified needs will be addressed, including addressing health inequalities, and which reflects the evidence of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA).
The report noted that the Health and Social Care Act 2012 established Health and Wellbeing Boards as a forum where key leaders from the health and care system work together to improve the health and wellbeing of their local population and reduce health inequalities. It also noted that the Health and Care Act 2022 introduced new architecture to the health and care system, specifically the establishment of integrated care boards (ICBs) and integrated care partnerships (ICPs).
The report stated that Lewisham's ten-year Health and Wellbeing Strategy was published in 2013 and contained three overarching aims: to improve health, to improve care, and to improve efficiency. It also identified nine priority areas for action over the 10 years which were largely shaped through the JSNA and various stakeholder engagement activity. In 2015, the strategy was refreshed following engagement activity with stakeholders and discussions by the Health and Wellbeing Board, and three interdependent broader priorities were identified for 2015-18.
The new strategy's aim is to improve the health and wellbeing of all Lewisham residents and reduce existing health inequalities by taking partnership action on prevention and priority social determinants of health for the borough. The priority areas for action within the strategy are poverty, housing, education, and prevention. Within each priority area, a specific focus action has been identified alongside a range of other actions.
The report stated that the strategy has been developed with the recognition of many other areas of work that are taking place in the borough, regionally and nationally, and aims to both amplify and align with this existing work. It also stated that the implementation of actions and monitoring of the strategy's impact will be overseen by the Lewisham Health and Wellbeing Board.
The report included a copy of the full updated strategy, Lewisham Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025-2030: Prioritising prevention and acting on the social determinants of health.
Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) Update
The board was scheduled to receive an update on the Lewisham Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA). The objective of a JSNA is to provide access to a profile of Lewisham's population, including demographic, social and health information. It also provides access to in-depth needs assessments which address specific gaps in knowledge or identify issues associated with particular populations and/or services.
The report noted that the Health and Social Care Act 2012 placed a new statutory obligation on local health and care partnerships to jointly produce and to commission with regard to the JSNA, and to develop a joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy for meeting the needs identified in the local JSNA.
The report stated that in Lewisham, an overall profile of Lewisham's population is produced every 2 years and is called 'The Picture of Lewisham'. Additionally, a number of in-depth JSNA topic assessments are also completed following a nomination and prioritisation process coordinated by the public health team.
The report included a partially refreshed version of the Picture of Lewisham, which incorporated the Office for National Statistics' first population projections since the 2021 Census, predicting Lewisham's population to increase overall, and be as high as 311,000 by 2030, with notable variation by age, of particular note being the projected decrease of school aged children. It also included updated mortality data for the financial year 2024/25, with cancer remaining the most common cause of death for Lewisham residents, and updated life expectancy data, which has seen a small increase locally, regionally and nationally after a fall nationwide due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The report also included an update on the in-depth topic assessment on autism, noting that Public Health have met with Drumbeat Outreach, Educational Psychology, and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service to better understand the picture around autism locally, and that focus groups have been commissioned out to London South Bank University (LSBU) with autistic adults and parents/carers of autistic children.
The report also included an update on the in-depth topic assessment on children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), looking at prevalence, trends and characteristics of SEND in Lewisham, mapping the current service provision, identifying gaps in services and areas of unmet need, assisting the local area with future planning for their children and young people (CYP) with SEND, and identifying how wider health inequalities may impact on CYP with SEND.
Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) Update
The board was scheduled to receive an update on the next Lewisham Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) 2026. Every Health and Wellbeing Board in England has a statutory responsibility to publish a statement of the needs for pharmaceutical services of the population in its area and update it at least every three years.
The report noted that PNAs are used by NHS England to make decisions on which funded services need to be provided by local community pharmacies, and are also relevant when deciding if new pharmacies are needed in response to applications by businesses.
The report stated that a PNA Steering Group was formed and held its first meeting in June 2025, with key steps in the process being consultation with pharmacies and service users, identifying current and likely future population size and level of pharmacy need in the borough, completion of a draft PNA, a 60 day statutory consultation on the draft PNA, and a final PNA presented to the Health and Wellbeing Board in March 2026.
Better Care Fund
The board was scheduled to receive an update in relation to the Better Care Fund plan. The Better Care Fund (BCF) programme supports local systems to successfully deliver the integration of health, housing and social care in a way that supports person-centred care, sustainability and better outcomes for people and carers.
The report noted that the plan was signed off by the Section 75 Agreement Management Group and submitted to NHS England by 31 March 2025, and was approved on 30 May 2025 following a Better Care Fund assurance process led by NHS England. It also noted that a Section 75 agreement is required to support the Better Care Fund, and that this has been drafted and agreed between the ICB and Council and will go to Mayor & Cabinet for approval in September.
The report stated that the Quarter 4 Monitoring Return for 2024/25 was submitted as required on 4 June 2025, confirming compliance with the requirements of the Better Care Fund and highlighting strong, integrated governance, a strong focus on hospital discharge, and funding challenges.
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