The Hillingdon Council Health and Social Care Select Committee convened to discuss GP coverage in the borough, monitor the Cabinet Forward Plan, and review the committee's work programme. The meeting was scheduled to include a single meeting review of GP coverage in Hillingdon, as well as a review of the Cabinet Forward Plan and the committee's work programme.

GP Coverage in Hillingdon

The committee was scheduled to conduct a single meeting review of GP coverage in Hillingdon. The review aimed to assess the number and geographical distribution of GPs within the borough, and whether this was adequate to serve the local population.

The suggested terms of reference for the review included:

• Understanding the services currently provided by GPs in Hillingdon.
• Understanding how GP services are commissioned and how this will be affected by the changes being faced by Northwest London Integrated Care Board.
• Reviewing the current availability of support for GPs.
• Establishing what services have already been commissioned from pharmacies and other providers to alleviate pressure from GPs and identifying how successful this change has been in achieving its objective.
• Exploring the possibility of pharmacies providing additional services to alleviate the pressure on GPs.
• Subject to the committee's findings, making any conclusions, proposing actions and making service and policy recommendations to the decision-making Cabinet.

The review was expected to consider the ratio of patients per GP in Hillingdon, compared to other areas. According to data from NHS Digital, North West London had a higher ratio of patients per GP compared to the London and England averages.

The number of patients per GP is higher in North West London than the London or England average...

Public Reports Pack

As of the meeting date, Hillingdon had 42 GP surgeries organised into six Primary Care Networks (PCNs). The report noted that there were no GPs in Ruislip Manor or Hillingdon West wards¹.

The committee was expected to hear from witnesses including Sean Bidewell from North West London Integrated Care Board / Hillingdon Health and Care Partners, Edmund Jahn, Chief Executive of Hillingdon GP Confederation / Hillingdon Health and Care Partners, and Lisa Taylor, Managing Director of Healthwatch Hillingdon.

Suggested lines of enquiry included:

• Whether the service provided by each GP is the same at all practices.
• Whether the services provided by pharmacies in Hillingdon are alleviating the pressure on GPs.
• What additional services could be provided by pharmacies to alleviate pressure on GPs.
• How the quality of service provided by each practice is monitored and what action is taken in response to concerns about quality and complaints.
• What the service user experience is in relation to the availability/accessibility of appointments.
• How waiting times for appointments are monitored and managed.
• How the scope of provision is geographically located and whether this meets residents' needs.
• Whether complaints and compliments are managed centrally to enable practices to share best practice and whether the PCNs produce a You Said, We Did to close the feedback loop.
• How enhanced access is being promoted and applied.
• What the issues concerning the recruitment and retention of GPs to support Hillingdon residents are and how they are being addressed.
• What action has been taken / is being taken to increase the number of GPs practicing in the Borough to address the high GP/patient ratios.
• What action is taken to ensure that there is a consistent approach taken by all GP practices to referring patients to the Hubs.
• What the implications for GP coverage and practice in Hillingdon are arising from the NHS 10-year plan.

Cabinet Forward Plan

The committee was scheduled to review the Cabinet Forward Plan to monitor key decisions and other actions to be taken by the Cabinet and individual Cabinet Members over the coming year. The Health and Social Care Select Committee can provide comments on items listed in the plan that relate to services within its remit.

The Cabinet Forward Plan included the following items:

• July 2025: Reports from Select Committees and a public preview of matters to be considered in private.
• August 2025: Cabinet decisions by the Leader of the Council.
• September 2025: Social Care Catering Services, contracts for supported living for those with mental health support needs, a Carers Strategy Update, and a Better Care Fund Section 75 Agreement². Also scheduled were reports from Select Committees and a public preview of matters to be considered in private.
• October 2025: The Annual Report of Adult and Child Safeguarding Arrangements, reports from Select Committees, and a public preview of matters to be considered in private.
• November 2025: Reports from Select Committees and a public preview of matters to be considered in private.
• December 2025: An Older People's Plan update, a public preview of matters to be considered in private, reports from Select Committees, and the 2026/27 Budget and Future Medium-Term Financial Strategy (Budget Framework).
• January 2026: A public preview of matters to be considered in private and reports from Select Committees.
• February 2026: A public preview of matters to be considered in private, reports from Select Committees, the 2026/27 Budget and Future Medium-Term Financial Strategy (Budget Framework), and Members' Allowances 2026/27.
• March 2026: A public preview of matters to be considered in private and reports from Select Committees.
• April 2026: A public preview of matters to be considered in private and reports from Select Committees.

Work Programme

The committee was expected to consider its work programme for the year and agree on any amendments. Meeting dates for the 2025/2026 municipal year were agreed by the council on 16 January 2025:

• Thursday 19 June 2025
• Tuesday 22 July 2025
• Tuesday 16 September 2025
• Tuesday 7 October 2025
• Tuesday 11 November 2025
• Tuesday 20 January 2026
• Tuesday 17 February 2026
• Thursday 26 March 2026
• Tuesday 21 April 2026

The committee had agreed to undertake a major review in relation to adult social care early intervention and prevention.