The Hertfordshire Health and Wellbeing Board met on Friday 3 October 2025 to discuss a range of issues including the Hertfordshire Sensory Strategy, the Better Care Fund, and winter planning. The board was also scheduled to review the findings of a survey on integrated care and receive progress reports from its sub-governance boards.

Hertfordshire Sensory Strategy Refresh 2025 – 2028

The board was asked to consider and endorse the revised Hertfordshire Sensory Strategy 2025 - 2028 and Action Plan 2025/26. The Sensory Strategy aims to reduce societal barriers that prevent equality of access to health and social care, education, employment and the community for people with sensory needs.

The report pack noted that in 2022, there were 38,900 people living with sight loss in Hertfordshire, and that by 2032 this is expected to increase to 45,800, an increase of 17.7%. It also noted that as of 2020, there were an estimated 204,120 people living with hearing loss in Hertfordshire, and that this is predicted to rise to 247,578 in 2030, an increase of 21.3%.

The strategy sets out five priorities:

• To provide clear and accessible information
• To work collaboratively to provide an inclusive and holistic support offer that promotes independence within communities
• To improve emotional and peer support
• To improve the technology offer that promotes independent lives
• To improve awareness of sensory loss across Hertfordshire public services, health and social care and the voluntary community faith and enterprise sectors

The report pack also included an Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) which stated that the Sensory Strategy is a collaborative document that seeks to address some of the inequalities faced by people living with a sensory loss in Hertfordshire.

Better Care Fund 2025-26 Plan and Update

The board was asked to formally approve the 2025-26 Quarter 1 submission to NHS England for the Better Care Fund (BCF). The Better Care Fund is a pooled fund between Hertfordshire County Council and NHS Integrated Care Board for Hertfordshire and West Essex, and includes a contribution from NHS Integrated Care Board for Cambridge and Peterborough.

The report pack noted that a stronger national emphasis is being placed on evidencing performance against the three BCF metrics¹. It also noted that Hertfordshire is performing better than either the East of England or national averages, but must ensure all targets are met by year-end. The report pack stated that system preparations for winter (October 2025 to March 2026) are underway, and that the BCF Board approved eight short-term proposals aimed at strengthening service capacity. These initiatives will support hospital discharges and pilot innovative approaches to prevent admissions to hospital and long-term admission to residential or nursing care. These include:

• A pilot aiming to support up to 25 plus-size individuals, by providing them with specialised equipment tailored to their specific needs.
• The HCPA Provider Hub and education team will enhance its service to offer winter specific support.
• Increased Reablement care by four rounds in localities with greatest demand this winter.
• Enhance East and North Hertfordshire Social Care Prevention of Admission Service with strengthened social care professional oversight to avoid admissions.
• SWH dedicated Continuing Healthcare support to DTA beds supporting a reduction in overstays.
• An additional and dedicated delivery team in Hertfordshire Equipment Service to focus on Urgent Needs Service (UNS) orders and priority to hospital discharges.
• Carers equalities schemes 4 projects to provide outreach to unpaid carers with protected characteristics complementing carers support including Carers in Hertfordshire and Adult Care Services. The aim is to develop targeted communications campaigns, and identify and support carers from diverse communities, ensuring they are aware of their rights and the support available, and have opportunities to meet other carers from similar backgrounds:
  • Impactful Governance LGBTQ+
  • One Vision in Watford
  • North Herts Minority Ethnic Forum (NHMEF)
  • Hertfordshire Asian Women's Association (HAWA) in St Albans.

Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care System (ICS) Winter Plan 2025/26

The board was scheduled to be informed of the coordinated framework and common approach across system partners for this winter. The Winter Plan for 25/26 has taken into consideration the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board's (HWE ICB) Winter Plan, NHS England's Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) Recovery Plan 2025/26, Hertfordshire and West Essex Health and Care Partnership (HCP) priorities and Individual winter plans developed by provider organisations across the system.

The report pack stated that the Hertfordshire and West Essex face a range of urgent and emergency care (UEC) pressures shaped by the needs of a growing and increasingly complex population. It noted that a significant proportion of the population—over 100,000 people—are living with frailty, with older adults aged 65 and over being at the greatest risk. It also noted that children and young people also represent a substantial demand on urgent care services, accounting for over a quarter of all Emergency Department (ED) attendances.

The report pack stated that the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care System (ICS) has put strong measures in place to manage winter pressures across local health and care services, and that a key part of this is the System Coordination Centre (SCC), which operates around the clock.

The report pack also stated that the ICS has secured £23 million additional capacity funding which is contained within the baseline to support key initiatives, including virtual wards, urgent community response, discharge support, and crisis beds.

Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Partnership Monitoring Framework Survey I Statements – Key Findings

The board was scheduled to be updated on the key findings arising from the Integrated Care Partnership I statements survey seeking to better understand residents' perspectives on health and wellbeing services.

The report pack stated that the findings represent the views of 1,734 residents who have engaged with Healthwatch Hertfordshire and Healthwatch Essex to complete a survey using I statements . It also stated that the survey respondents were heavily pre-disposed in particular categories of gender, age, disability and parental status: for example, 65% older than 65 years of age, 82% older than 55 years of age, 85% White British, 51% have a long-term condition or disability, or care for someone that does, 89% do not care for a child under 18.

The report pack noted that the following groups had a higher prevalence of negative responses which were of statistical significance: Broxbourne and Stevenage residents, people from minority ethnic groups, carers and those aged 18-44.

The report pack summarised the findings from the engagement across each of the six strategic priorities in the Integrated Care Strategy:

• Give every child the best start in life
• Support our communities and places to be healthy and sustainable
• Support our residents to maintain healthy lifestyles
• Enable our residents to age well and support people living with dementia
• Improve support for people living with life-long conditions, long-term health conditions, physical disabilities and their families
• Improve our residents' mental health and outcomes for those with learning disabilities and autism

HWB Sub-Governance Boards Quarter Two (July – September 2025) Progress Highlight Reports

The board was scheduled to review and provide feedback on the highlight reports outlining the activities and progress of the five Health and Wellbeing Board sub-boards.

The five sub-boards are:

• Hertfordshire Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Neurodiversity Health and Care Partnership
• Drug and Alcohol Joint Strategic Board
• Domestic Abuse and Violence against Women and Girls Board
• Better Care Fund Board
• Hertfordshire Children and Young People's Commissioning Board

The report pack included highlight reports from the Hertfordshire Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Neurodiversity Health and Care Partnership, the Drug and Alcohol Joint Strategic Board, and the Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse and Violence Against Women and Girls Partnership. The Better Care Fund Board was scheduled to be discussed in detail as a key item on the agenda, and the Children and Young People's Commissioning Board is currently undergoing a review.

The Hertfordshire Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Neurodiversity Health and Care Partnership reported that the All-Age Autism Strategy design is complete, including an easy read version and has been published.

The Drug and Alcohol Joint Strategic Board reported that a new Hertfordshire Suicide Prevention Strategy has been drafted and presented to the recently relaunched Suicide Prevention Strategic Board.

The Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse and Violence Against Women and Girls Partnership reported that a service specification has been developed for a new advocacy service supporting victims and survivors of multiple forms of VAWG, and that a task and finish group is being established to explore how best to support older victims and survivors of VAWG.