The Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Wandsworth Council was scheduled to discuss the performance of St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, review findings and recommendations regarding Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), and examine the 2024/25 Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework Indicators Annual Performance Report.

St George's Trust Performance Update

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the performance and key issues at St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The report, available in the Public reports pack, was intended to provide information on various aspects of the Trust's operations. This included updates on emergency care, where nearly 13,000 people attended the Emergency Department in December 2025, with an 81.3% achievement of the four-hour standard. The report also detailed progress in reducing waiting times for long-wait, consultant-led pathways, and diagnostics, with 95.7% of patients receiving tests within six weeks. Cancer performance was also highlighted, with improvements in the 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard, though challenges remained with the 62-day standard, partly due to a seasonal increase in skin referrals and limited robotic theatre capacity.

The report also addressed winter pressures on services, noting that operational teams had prepared by working with local hospitals, authorities, and stakeholders. Communications campaigns were in place to guide residents to the appropriate services, encouraging the use of NHS 111 online, GP hubs, and pharmacies for non-emergency needs.

A financial update for the 2025/26 financial year indicated a forecast breakeven position, despite an efficiency target of £95 million and £40.2 million in deficit support funding. However, medium-term planning for 2026/27 revealed an anticipated £87.9 million deficit, projected to increase to £108.8 million due to reduced deficit support funding and the removal of non-recurrent actions. Efficiency plans targeted £90.6 million, but an £18.2 million gap remained, preventing a compliant plan submission.

The report also covered the impact of industrial action, noting that during resident doctor strikes in December, 36 elective procedures and 117 outpatient appointments were rescheduled. Similar impacts were seen in November, though activity rates during strikes were higher than in July. Industrial action by Health Care Support workers in January saw minimal disruption to planned appointments while maintaining urgent and emergency care.

Furthermore, the report detailed findings from Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections. Urgent and emergency care at St George's Hospital was rated as 'requires improvement', as was surgery, which had dropped from 'good'. Maternity services had improved from 'inadequate' to 'requires improvement'. The CQC's leadership inspection also rated the Trust's leadership as 'requires improvement', citing issues with oversight of safety risks and embedding the group strategy. Areas for improvement included vision and culture, governance, leadership inclusivity, freedom to speak up, and workforce equality.

Key challenges across the St George's, Epsom and St Helier (GESH) group were outlined, including approximately 300 patients in beds who could be cared for in community settings, aging hospital infrastructure, and a daily overspend of £700,000. The report concluded by outlining a forward-looking strategy focused on shifting care from hospital to community, digital transformation, and a shift from treatment, in collaboration with partners across south west London and Surrey.

Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Task and Finish Group Report

The committee was scheduled to review the findings and recommendations of the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Task and Finish Group. This group was established to examine the prevention and early intervention of VAWG. The report, which had been considered by the Children's OSC on 10th February 2026 and was due to be submitted to Cabinet on 23rd February, aimed to set out the group's findings and recommendations.

The report highlighted five recurring themes from stakeholder feedback:

• Young people want to have the conversation, but it is not consistent: This theme emphasised the need for early, sustained education on relationships, consent, and respect, with concerns raised that current education can feel like a one-off event and that explicit conversations about misogyny are rare.
• Online spaces mean young people experience the world alone, not together: The report noted how personalised online feeds and algorithms mean young people are not always seeing the same content, making it harder to make sense of what is acceptable without shared reference points.
• Young people value a sense of belonging: The importance of accessible, affordable after-school activities and community spaces was highlighted as a protective factor that can reduce unstructured time spent online and provide opportunities for challenging harmful attitudes.
• Prevention is available, but it is not always visible or connected: While Wandsworth has a range of prevention and early intervention activities, many felt these were not consistently understood or clearly connected, leading to fragmented support for children affected by domestic abuse.
• Not everyone experiences prevention in the same way: The report stressed the need for inclusive and culturally competent prevention strategies that recognise intersectionality and address barriers faced by marginalised groups, such as women with no recourse to public funds and LGBTQ+ young people.

The Task and Finish Group proposed three recommendations for Cabinet consideration:

1. To enhance the reach and visibility of Wandsworth's existing VAWG prevention offer in schools, exploring options for interventions co-produced with young people.
2. To ensure a robust systems approach across statutory agencies, voluntary and community organisations, and communities for VAWG prevention and early identification.
3. To maintain ongoing engagement with survivors, with a renewed focus on seldom-heard communities, to inform service delivery and support.

2024/25 Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework Indicators Annual Performance Report

The committee was scheduled to review the 2024/25 Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework Indicators Annual Performance Report. This report provides an annual update on performance compared to other London boroughs and England, based on the service user survey and performance indicators.

The report indicated that Wandsworth's performance in 2024/25 was strong, with 70% of indicators in the top two quartiles compared to London and nationally. Seven indicators are monitored through the national Adult Social Care Survey, and Wandsworth improved its performance in four of these. The borough ranked within the top five for four out of seven survey indicators, including having the highest percentage of people who reported they had as much social contact as they would like. However, the 'adjusted social care quality of life indicator' moved into the third quartile in London and the lowest quartile nationally, with further analysis being undertaken. Overall satisfaction of people who use services with their care and support reduced slightly but remained in the second quartile in London and third nationally.

In terms of performance indicators, ten out of thirteen nationally and eight in London were in the top two quartiles. Wandsworth ranked in the top five London boroughs for four indicators, including 100% of care users receiving support through a personal budget and 100% of residential adult social care providers being rated good or outstanding by the CQC.

The report also highlighted performance on new indicators. For the proportion of people aged 65+ discharged from hospital into reablement who remained in the community within 12 weeks, Wandsworth's performance was 61.2%, placing it in the lowest quartile in London. For the proportion of people aged 65+ receiving long-term support who live in their own home or with family, performance was 63%, placing it in the lowest quartile in London but the second quartile nationally. The proportion of people aged 18 to 64 receiving long-term support who live in their home or with family was 81.3%, placing it in the second quartile in London and nationally.

The proportion of staff in the formal care workforce leaving their role in the past 12 months reduced to 20.6%, moving from the lowest quartile in London to the third quartile. The report noted that providers are reporting improvements in staff recruitment, though retention remains a challenge.

The report also noted that two carer indicators, regarding self-directed support and direct payments, were not available for 2024/25 due to national data gaps.