The Health and Wellbeing Board met on 21 January 2026 to discuss the Better Care Fund, Family Hubs, the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment, and the Healthwatch Annual Report. Decisions were made to ratify the Better Care Fund Quarter 2 report and approve the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment for publication.

Better Care Fund Quarter 2 Report 2025/26

The Board received an overview of the Better Care Fund (BCF) Quarter 2 report for 2025/26. Sarah Bright, Director of People's Commissioning, Transformation and Partnerships, presented the report, and Susan Roostan, H&F ICB Borough Director, confirmed that the Quarter 3 report was being prepared.

A discussion arose regarding an overspend on Community Equipment. Sarah Bright explained that this was due to the collapse of a provider appointed by a London consortium, which included Hammersmith and Fulham. Alternative arrangements were immediately put in place, incurring additional costs. However, a new provider has been contracted, and improvements are expected as they establish their services. Councillor Alex Sanderson thanked the team for their efforts in navigating this challenging situation. Diane Barham from Healthwatch suggested assessing user experience, particularly for specific cohorts, to identify any inequalities in discharge and community equipment provision, which Sarah Bright agreed to explore.

The Board resolved to ratify the BCF Quarter 2 report for 2025-2026 and to receive an end-of-year report detailing the outcomes of each scheme and their impact on residents.

Family Hubs Annual Report 2024/25

Philip Tomsett, Head of Family Hubs, presented the annual report on the borough's three Family Hubs, which are located in areas of high deprivation. He highlighted that the hubs aim to provide a single point of access for families needing comprehensive support, including parenting advice, cost of living assistance, and access to partnered service providers. The report indicated high demand for the service, with navigators in each hub receiving numerous requests and referrals. The hubs also offer an award-winning online resource and have received positive feedback from families, with many feeling welcome and experiencing positive outcomes from the interventions. The service has also secured external funding from the Department for Education.

Dr James Cavanagh, H&F GP, inquired about how organisations providing services within the hubs could be more involved in the evolution of neighbourhood services. Philip Tomsett explained his team's involvement in various working groups, including the place-based aspect of the neighbourhood health offer, and their close collaboration with local GPs and Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDTs). He expressed a desire to extend this partnership approach through reforms like best starting life and neighbourhood health, ensuring services complement rather than duplicate each other.

Councillor Alex Sanderson welcomed the report, noting the integration of health and voluntary sector partnerships through co-location working. Councillor Natalia Perez, Chair of the Health and Adult Social Care Policy and Accountability Committee, expressed concern about potential under-representation of certain groups, particularly those who are digitally excluded, in the Family Hub registration process and asked about steps being taken to increase awareness. Philip Tomsett outlined the catchment areas for each hub and acknowledged some gaps in registration numbers in specific areas, with plans for targeted outreach programmes. He emphasised that face-to-face contact and outreach activities at community centres and partner venues were the primary approach, with online services serving as an additional resource. Jacqui McShannon, Executive Director of People's Services, commended the Family Hub team for actively seeking feedback and exploring communication routes beyond traditional methods. The Chair suggested promoting the wider scope of Family Hub services to individuals beyond those with children.

The Board noted the report.

H&F Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2026-29

Dr Mayada Abu Affan, Interim Director of Public Health, introduced the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) 2026-29, explaining that Health and Wellbeing Boards are statutorily required to publish and update a PNA every three years. The PNA helps inform decisions regarding community pharmacies, including their role in prevention and reducing demand on primary and urgent care. It also assists in managing risks related to equitable access across the borough, considering new pharmacy openings and closures or relocations.

Susan Hughes, Programme Lead for Public Health, presented the findings, noting concerns raised in a recent survey regarding opening hours, stock availability, and communication about prescription readiness between GPs, pharmacies, and patients. She stated that a PNA dashboard would be developed to monitor pharmacy locations, opening hours, services, and user feedback. The assessment concluded that Hammersmith and Fulham is well-served by pharmacies in terms of number and location, with good access to necessary and other relevant pharmaceutical services, and no anticipated gaps in provision between 2026 and 2029.

Sue Spiller, Chief Executive Officer of SOBUS, raised concerns about the uptake of pharmaceutical services by residents. Susan Hughes acknowledged that while a list of services had been provided to families visiting Family Hubs, there might be scope to improve the dissemination of information about services like Pharmacy First, particularly for cohorts such as carers who may not be aware of prescription delivery services. Dr Mayada Abu Affan clarified that NHS England, as the commissioner of pharmaceutical services, holds data on service uptake, and the Council's data is limited to public health services commissioned from pharmacies, making it difficult to assess the impact on primary care demand.

Dr James Cavanagh, H&F GP, highlighted the importance of the Pharmacy First service, noting its widespread advertising through GP surgeries and the integration of pharmacists into GP practices. He suggested mapping the number of pharmacists within Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to identify any supply or service gaps and inquired about pharmacists delivering medication to homes or working with nursing homes, as well as the number of prescribing pharmacists in each PCN. Dr Mayada Abu Affan considered these points important and suggested they could be addressed in parallel with the PNA.

The Chair acknowledged the vital role of pharmacies as an extension of health services and anticipated that the current pace of change might necessitate an update to the PCN within three years.

The Board agreed to approve the Hammersmith and Fulham Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) 2026-2029 for publication and to delegate authority to the PNA Steering Group to determine whether future changes in pharmaceutical services warrant a supplementary statement or a new PNA, and to report these decisions to the Board.

Healthwatch Annual Report 2024/25

Sarah Bright, Director of People's Commissioning, Transformation and Partnerships, presented the 2024/25 annual report from Healthwatch Hammersmith and Fulham. She noted that Local Voice in the Community had taken over as the Healthwatch provider since September 2025. The report summarised engagement activities, identified key issues, and provided recommendations from the previous provider. It also looked ahead to opportunities for deeper collaboration with the new Healthwatch provider and health partners, focusing on aligning priorities, sharing insights, and embedding co-production to ensure local voices inform decision-making and drive measurable improvements in health and social care.

Caroline Farrar, HCP Managing Director, mentioned that the new Healthwatch provider had identified three ongoing priorities from the annual report for 2026: Childhood Immunisations, Maternal Mental Health & Maternity Outcomes, and GP Access. She stated that the Partnership would collaborate with Local Voice in the Community to align these priorities with the wider health and care work programme. Diane Barham, representing Healthwatch, added that they were seeking new insights from a broader pool of information shared by local residents to approach issues differently.

The Board noted the report.

Verbal Update on ICB

Sue Roostan, H&F ICB Borough Director, provided an update on the upcoming merger of the Northwest London ICB and North Central London ICB into the West and North London ICB, effective from 1 April. This new ICB will be responsible for statutory functions across 13 boroughs. Sue Roostan noted that the merger would result in a 50% staff reduction, while the new ICB would expand its strategic commissioning role. Staff consultations and voluntary redundancy schemes were underway, with staff movements expected between February and March 2026, potentially continuing into the first quarter of 2027. She emphasised efforts to ensure a seamless transition and business as usual, acknowledging that changes in service delivery would occur as the new ICB took up its role. She assured the Board that neighbourhood health would remain a focus, with local accountability met through integrated neighbourhood teams.

Sue Spiller thanked everyone involved in the transition for their efforts amidst future uncertainty. Dr James Cavanagh expressed concern about the fundamental changes to the transformation, contrasting the current contract-led system with the new strategic commissioning model. He acknowledged potential opportunities but also highlighted potential weaknesses, particularly regarding the new ICB's capacity to understand local needs across 13 boroughs without the oversight of a place-based commissioning organisation.

Caroline Farrar recalled the Board's previous discussion on the 10-Year Health Plan, which highlighted ongoing changes in the NHS. She expressed certainty that the new system would evolve towards more flexible, outcome-based contracts. She suggested inviting an ICB executive colleague to discuss the changes at a future meeting. Councillor Alex Sanderson welcomed this suggestion and noted the opportunity for the local authority and the Board to address identified gaps. Both she and the Chair considered this could become a standing item for regular updates.

The Board noted the verbal update.