The Nottingham City Health and Wellbeing Board convened on 24 September 2025, to discuss a range of topics including public health initiatives, healthcare service updates, and strategic planning for the upcoming years. Key agenda items included the ratification of the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment, an update on the Better Care Fund, and progress reports on the Joint Carers Strategy and the Nottingham City Place-Based Partnership¹. The board also planned to review the Nottingham City Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report, and discuss the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Autism Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.

Women's Health Needs Assessment

The board was scheduled to consider the findings and recommendations of the Nottingham City Women's Health Needs Assessment. The assessment aimed to improve outcomes and guide the planning and delivery of services for women in Nottingham.

The report pack stated that the assessment used a:

• Comprehensive literature review
• Secondary data sets
• Online survey
• Brief engagement activity on International Women's Day
• Series of focus groups and interviews

The report pack noted that younger women, Gypsy/Roma/Traveller women and disabled women were underrepresented within the sample.

The report pack stated that the key findings of the assessment were:

• 59% of women who responded to the survey rated their health as 'Good' or 'Very Good' but 16% rated it as 'Poor' or 'Very Poor'
• Women identified their top health concerns to relate to mental health, menopause and perimenopause, health behaviours, periods and cancer risk.
• Women's health inequalities are shaped by gender roles and societal expectations, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, language, education, income and deprivation, health literacy, trauma, substance use, homelessness, learning difficulties and caring responsibilities.
• Women identified a range of healthy spaces and helpful services, although few of these were female targeted.
• One of the key barriers to accessing services for women included their struggle in prioritising their own health, care and wellbeing over other responsibilities through acts of self-care.
• Women described the following healthy behaviours: physical activity and healthy eating, using NHS services, mindfulness and grounding, creative and social activities, avoiding harmful behaviours, learning health skills, personal care and hygiene, caring for others and help-seeking/advocacy.

The report pack stated that the greatest barriers to healthy behaviours were: low literacy and poor English, low health literacy, lack of female professionals, political/economic pressures, bureaucracy and overstretched services, childcare/chores/paid work, safety concerns and guilt.

The report pack stated that the greatest facilitators to healthy behaviours were: personal agency and motivation, female professionals, free/subsidised services, digital access, efficient targeted services, supportive professionals and social networks, good transport and green spaces, safe single-sex spaces, inclusive workplaces and policies, desire to care for loved ones and sense of community.

The report pack stated that women's health could be better promoted via:

• Improving communication and access to information
• Service design and delivery
• Considering the workforce and professional support available
• Policy and system-level change

The report pack stated that there was a clear unmet need for a Women's Health Hub²—a dedicated, women-centred space to address sensitive issues like sexual and gynaecological health, menopause, and mental health.

The report pack recommended the creation of a system wide women's health needs group that is tasked to create an action plan that responds to the findings of this HNA.

The report pack stated that the board was asked to endorse the WHNA findings, support publication of the WHNA, and agree to the specific recommendations laid out in the WHNA and for relevant members of the board and appropriate partners to participate in a future system-wide women's health group to continue this important work.

Work and Health Joint Strategic Needs Assessment Profile

The board was scheduled to receive a report on the newly developed Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) Profile for work and health. The profile describes local data and trends, along with key insight, national guidance and policy relating to supporting people with health conditions or disability to secure and sustain meaningful employment.

The report pack stated that the key findings of the profile were:

• Work is a building block of health.
• Poor health is keeping people out of work and economic inactivity due to ill health is rising in Nottingham.
• The policy context for health and work is changing rapidly and has shifted to a more proactive approach emphasising prevention, early intervention, and the promotion of 'good work'.
• Effective interventions for supporting people with long-term health conditions into employment offer individually tailored and holistic support, are flexible and sustained, and are integrated with health and employment services while actively engaging employers to create personalised, supportive work opportunities.
• Helping people with health conditions to sustain work should involve early intervention upon sickness absence, open and trusting relationships with managers, reasonable adjustments and multi-disciplinary involvement of occupational health, employment support services, primary care, and the employer.
• People in Nottingham told us that they want to work, not just for a stable income, but for the purpose and connection that it brings.
• In Nottingham, several integrated services exist to support people with health conditions or disabilities to secure and sustain employment.

The report pack stated that recommendations have been developed for this JSNA across five key themes, focused on improving work and health outcomes for people in Nottingham:

• Strengthening partnership and integration between health and employment services
• Promoting 'good work' and inclusive employment practices
• Leverage local plans and strategic coordination
• Visibility and accessibility of services
• Using data and evidence to prepare for the future

The report pack stated that the Board was asked to endorse the JSNA Profile for Work and Health and support the implementation of the identified recommendations.

Nottingham City Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report

The board was scheduled to receive the Nottingham City Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) Annual Report for 2024/2025. The report demonstrates the work undertaken by Board Partners.

The report pack stated that the SAB has three core duties:

• It must publish a Strategic Plan for each financial year that sets out how it will meet its main objective and what the members will do to achieve this
• It must publish an Annual Report which details what the SAB has done during the year to achieve its main objective and implement its strategic plan, and what each member has done to implement the strategy, as well as the findings of any Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs) and subsequent action.
• It must conduct any SARs in accordance with Section 44 of the Care Act 2014

The report pack stated that the SAB's strategic priorities were:

• Prevention
• Assurance
• Engagement

The report pack stated that the Board was asked to note the Nottingham City Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report.

Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment

The board was scheduled to consider the finalised Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) 2025-2028 for ratification. The PNA identifies the pharmaceutical needs of the local population and assesses the adequacy of current services.

The report pack stated that the findings of the PNA were:

• The number of community pharmacies in Nottingham City is 17.7 per 100,000 population, compared to 18.1 per 100,000 in England. Pharmacy numbers are noted to have decreased nationally.
• Community pharmacies are well distributed across the city, with all locations accessible within 30 mins (walking), 20 mins (public transport) or 10 mins (private vehicle e.g. car). Nottingham City residents are also able to access community pharmacy services in neighbouring Nottinghamshire County localities.
• Of the 58 community pharmacies in Nottingham City, all provide Essential Services, and 97% (56) provide Pharmacy First Services. This demonstrates very good provision of Necessary Services as defined by the Steering Group. The Nottingham City PNA 2025-2028 concludes there are no identified gaps in provision of Necessary services to meet current and future (next three years) population need.
• The PNA highlights good uptake of Advanced and Enhanced services defined as Relevant Services, with opportunities to improve awareness in some areas. The Nottingham City PNA 2025-2028 concludes there are no identified gaps in provision of Advanced and Enhanced services to meet current and future (next three years) population need.
• A range of Locally Commissioned Services (LCS) by Nottingham City Council and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) complement the NHS pharmaceutical services. The Nottingham City PNA 2025-2028 concludes there are no identified gaps in provision of LCS to meet current and future (next three years) population need.
• The PNA 2025-2028 identifies that there may be opportunities to improve awareness and understanding of community pharmacy services, particularly among minority and younger populations.

The report pack stated that the identified themes and recommendations were:

• Strengthening the role of community pharmacy in prevention, preventing ill health and supporting wellbeing
• Reducing health inequalities through targeted pharmacy services
• Embedding pharmacy into integrated NHS neighbourhood health services providing clinical care for patients.
• Supporting workforce development and expanding pharmacy services
• Enhancing public awareness and digital transformation
• Monitoring future demand and improving public engagement
• Community based medicines management Living well with medicines

The report pack stated that the Board was asked to ratify the Nottingham City Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2025-2028 as signed off by the Director of Public Health and to note the themes of the recommendations contained within the PNA and to agree to receive updates on progress against delivery.

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Autism Joint Strategic Needs Assessment

The board was scheduled to receive a report on the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Autism Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA). The JSNA identifies health inequalities for autistic people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, including long diagnostic waiting times, poor access to mental health services, and barriers in education, employment, and social care.

The report pack stated that key recommendations included:

• Refreshing the local autism strategy
• Reducing diagnostic waiting times
• Enhancing mental health services
• Expanding employment support
• Improving transition services
• Strengthening data collection and governance

The report pack stated that the Board was asked to endorse the Autism JSNA and to support the refresh of an Autism Strategy.

The Better Care Fund Quarterly National Return

The board was scheduled to receive a report providing oversight of the monitored progress of delivery of the Nottingham City Better Care Fund 2024-25 plan and subsequent End of Year reporting that is due to be submitted to NHS England on the 6th June 2025.

The report pack stated that the BCF National Reporting Template for Quarter 1 asks systems to update on performance against the national performance metrics, that are:

• Emergency admissions: Emergency admissions to hospital for people aged 65+ per 100,000 population.
• Discharge Delays: Average length of discharge delay for all acute adult patients, derived from a combination of:
• Residential admissions: Long-term support needs of older people (age 65 and over) met by admission to residential and nursing care homes, per 100,000 population.

The report pack stated that the Board was asked to note the content of the Nottingham BCF Quarter 1 reporting template that was submitted to NHS England on 13th August 2025.

Joint Carers Strategy and Carers Personal Budgets Update

The board was scheduled to receive an update on the work undertaken to implement the Joint Carers Strategy 2023-2028. The strategy was co produced by carers from Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County, Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council and Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB). It sets out what we will do together to improve the health and wellbeing of unpaid carers living in or caring for someone living in Nottingham City or Nottinghamshire County, regardless of the condition or age of the person they are supporting.

The report pack stated that the commissioning of the current carer support service contracts ( Carers Hub Service, Young Carers Service and Carers Respite Service) was agreed at Health and Wellbeing Board Commissioning Sub-Committee in November 2022 (item 10). The commissioning review to re-design the carer breaks offer found that alongside the Carers Respite Service ( which commenced in April 2024) an innovative option that provided carers with choice and control was needed. A Carers Personal Budget (CPB) model was agreed providing small payments to enable unpaid carers to purchase replacement care and wellbeing activities to achieve a break from caring.

The report pack stated that work has been ongoing to implement processes to enable CPB to commence, it is now due to launch in Autumn- Winter 2025 with the Carers Hub Service managing CPB on behalf of NCC.

The report pack stated that the Board was asked to note the information in the appendices of this report:

• Joint Carers Strategy Progress Report 2024-2025
• Presentation slides: Joint Carers Strategy and Carers Personal Budgets

Community Directory for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire

The board was scheduled to receive a report on the Community Directory for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council are collaborating to develop a new, system-wide Community Directory that will serve as a central hub for accurate, accessible, and up-to-date information on local services, groups, and activities. This initiative replaces the existing platforms ASKLiON and Notts Help Yourself.

The report pack stated that the vision was to create one version of the truth —a unified, open-data-based directory used by residents, professionals, service providers, and the voluntary sector. It will not replace all existing websites but will allow integration and data sharing across platforms.

The report pack stated that the directory will:

• Enable early help and prevention.
• Reduce pressure on frontline services.
• Strengthen community resilience.
• Improve accessibility for all demographics.

The report pack stated that the Board was asked to note the new Community Directory.

Joint Health Protection Board Update

The board was scheduled to receive an update from the Joint Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Health Protection Board.

The report pack stated that the purpose of the Health Protection Board is to:

• Provide suitable assurance regarding outcomes and arrangements for the protection of the health of the population to Nottingham City Health and Wellbeing Board and Nottinghamshire County Health and Wellbeing Board.
• Provide system challenge.
• Facilitate information sharing and collaborative working between stakeholders.
• Ensure health protection opportunities for early intervention are maximised.
• Make recommendations for action where opportunities for improvement are identified.

The report pack stated that the update would include information on:

• Sexual health
• Prison healthcare/health protection provision
• Immunisation and vaccinations
• Screening programmes
• Exercise Pegasus

The report pack stated that the Board was asked to note the update from the Joint Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Health Protection Board.

Board Member Updates

The board was scheduled to receive updates from board members. The report pack included a Statutory Officers Report for Health and Wellbeing Board Corporate Director of Children and Education Services (DCS) September 2025 and a Partnership Update for Health & Wellbeing Board – Director of Public Health.

The Statutory Officers Report for Health and Wellbeing Board Corporate Director of Children and Education Services (DCS) September 2025 included information on:

• Children and Education Leadership Update
• Inspection Preparation
• Holiday Activity Fund
• Continued Success in the Statutory Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFS Profile)
• Healthy Little Minds launches online referrals

The Partnership Update for Health & Wellbeing Board – Director of Public Health included information on:

• Thriving Nottingham - Year 1 Impact Report

Work Plan

The board was scheduled to discuss and note the work plan. The work plan included recurring agenda items such as Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy – Delivery Update, Nottingham City Place-Based Partnership Update, Joint Health Protection Board Update, Board Member Updates, Better Care Fund (BCF) submissions and potential items to be scheduled such as Gambling Strategy, Fuel Poverty and Wellbeing Plan, Children's Mental Health and Neurodiversity and Warm Homes.