The Darlington Health and Wellbeing Board met to review the Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy, approve the updated Pharmacy Needs Assessment, and discuss the Better Care Fund. The board noted the progress made against the Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy, highlighting both improvements and persistent challenges in health outcomes. They also approved the updated Pharmacy Needs Assessment, which concluded that there are currently sufficient pharmacy services in Darlington.

Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy Annual Review

The Health and Wellbeing Board reviewed the Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy (JLHWS), which was published in December 2024. The report provided an overview of progress against agreed priorities and actions, with detail for each of the four themes of the JLHWS, alongside a summary data report and a performance dashboard.

The four themes of the strategy are:

• Best start in life (Children and Young People)
• Staying Healthy Living well
• Staying Healthy Ageing well
• Healthy Places

The report highlighted areas where good progress has been made, with evidence of improved health outcomes, but also noted examples of worsening outcomes and widening inequalities within Darlington. A number of programmes and actions are underway or in development, focusing on reducing inequalities and improving outcomes at a population level. The report detailed the breadth of work taking place and some of the plans being brought forward to address local need.

The JLHWS is a partnership strategy, and all partners represented have an important role to play in ensuring action against the agreed priorities. This was the first annual review of the JLHWS and the first opportunity to present the performance dashboard. In addition to the annual review, two deep dive thematic reviews will be undertaken each municipal year.

The board was asked to note the content of the annual review as an opportunity to understand progress made against agreed actions, and the challenges which persist for improving health and wellbeing outcomes in Darlington. All organisations were asked to consider opportunities in their work to support the health and wellbeing of local residents and reduce health inequalities, and to receive the performance dashboard, which has been developed as a tool to see trends and variation in key performance indicators.

Darlington Pharmacy Needs Assessment

The Health and Wellbeing Board approved the updated Pharmacy Needs Assessment (PNA) for publication. A 60-day consultation took place between 1 July and 30 August 2025, and consideration was given to all feedback received. Amendments to the PNA following the consultation were minor and included adding further detail about notice periods for supplementary hours and adding references to the new 10 Year Health Plan for England.

The overall conclusion of the pharmaceutical needs assessment was that there are sufficient pharmacy services in Darlington in place at this time and for the lifespan of the PNA (2025 – 2028). The three '100 hour' pharmacies in Darlington provide patients access and choice of pharmacies within the town centre and the main suburbs.

The PNA examined the current provision of pharmacy services in Darlington and evaluates potential gaps in service delivery.

The PNA covers the following areas:

• An overview of the PNA process, including the identification of localities
• An analysis of current and future health needs
• A description of community pharmacies in Darlington
• An evaluation of existing service provision, accessibility, and any gaps
• Insights into potential future roles for community pharmacies
• An assessment of community pharmacy's contributions to the Health and Wellbeing Strategy
• Key findings from stakeholder engagement and the statutory consultation
• A summary of findings and the PNA statement

The 2013 NHS (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical) regulations require the HWB to include a statement of necessary pharmaceutical services.

Necessary services are those pharmaceutical services that are considered key to meet the pharmaceutical needs of the population. They form the baseline level of services that must be provided to ensure adequate access to medicines and related healthcare. The classification helps in decision-making about pharmacy applications, service commissioning, and resource allocation. For the purpose of this PNA, the HWB has agreed that necessary services are defined as the essential services in the NHS Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework. Essential services are mandatory for all NHS community pharmacies.

Darlington Better Care Fund 2024/25 End of Year Programme Report

The Health and Wellbeing Board considered the annual report of the Darlington Better Care Fund (BCF) for the 2024/25 Programme. The BCF Policy Framework sets out the Government's priorities for 2023-25, including improving discharge, reducing the pressure on Urgent and Emergency Care and social care, supporting intermediate care, unpaid carers and housing adaptations.

The vision for the BCF over 2023-25 is to support people to live healthy, independent and dignified lives, through joining up health, social care and housing services seamlessly around the person. This vision is underpinned by the two core BCF objectives:

• Enable people to stay well, safe and independent at home for longer
• Provide the right care in the right place at the right time

The 2024/25 Plan has been regional assured and approved. A summary of this assurance is included in Annex 2 of the report. As part of the on-going programme management of the BCF, a joint review of all funded schemes began during July 2025 and will be concluded during September 2025. The rationale for this review was to ensure all schemes continued to deliver against the key priorities of the Programme and continues to provide value for money.

The board was asked to note the approval of the Plan and regional assurance feedback, and note the programme review underway during July September 2025.

Fit for the Future: The 10 Year Health Plan for England

Martin Short, Director of Place - North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, gave a presentation on the 10 Year Health Plan for England.

The plan is built upon three fundamental shifts to personalise care, empower patients, and ensure equitable access:

• From Hospital to Community: Shifting care closer to home through neighbourhood health services, easier GP appointments, and better dental care.
• From Analogue to Digital: Creating a seamless healthcare experience with a unified patient record, AI-enhanced services, and the NHS App as the primary digital front door.
• From Sickness to Prevention: Focusing on preventing illness, addressing causes of poor health, and investing in mental health and healthy lifestyles.

Health and Wellbeing Board Forward Plan

The board considered the forward plan and any additional areas of work which members wished to add.