The Health and Wellbeing Board of Buckinghamshire Council met on Tuesday 3 March 2026 to discuss a range of topics focused on improving the health and wellbeing of residents. Key areas scheduled for discussion included the council's Health and Wellbeing Strategy, with a particular focus on the Age Well programme, and an update on the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.

Health and Wellbeing Strategy Focus - Age Well

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the Age Well programme, which aims to improve the health and wellbeing of older adults (aged 65 and over) in Buckinghamshire. The report outlined progress against the Age Well action plan, with a focus on prevention, proactive care, and empowering communities.

Key areas of focus within the Age Well programme included:

• Proactive Frailty Clinic: Updates were scheduled on the Proactive Frailty Clinic, which aims to identify, assess, and manage moderately frail residents. This initiative involves collaboration between acute, community, and primary care services, utilising Comprehensive Geriatric Assessments (CGAs) to provide tailored, whole-person care. The clinics are running in five of the six Buckinghamshire neighbourhoods, having referred and assessed a number of patients, with positive feedback received.
• ASC Prevention Service: The report detailed the upcoming launch of the Adult Social Care Prevention Service, delivered by Age UK Bucks. This service is designed to provide upstream early intervention and prevention for older adults, focusing on holistic, person-centred assessments and support plans to help individuals access community resources and build social connections. The service will be embedded within Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs).
• Move Together: This targeted physical activity referral pathway supports inactive residents aged 50 and over living with long-term health conditions. It aims to increase physical resilience and protect against falls. The programme has supported a number of residents since its launch.
• Alcohol Pathway within Be Healthy Bucks: An enhanced tier one alcohol offer has been integrated into the Be Healthy Bucks service to address alcohol consumption among older adults, which can be a contributory factor to falls. The digital pathway has shown positive results and is being expanded.
• Falls Prevention: The report indicated that the rate of emergency hospital admissions due to falls in those aged 65 and over has risen in Buckinghamshire, exceeding the national average. Work is underway to review the falls prevention service to widen inclusion criteria and increase uptake. A pilot of sensor-based falls technology in care homes has concluded, showing reductions in falls and hospital admissions.
• Talking Therapies and Dementia Diagnosis: Progress was noted in increasing the number of older adults accessing Bucks Talking Therapies, with efforts to reach those in Opportunity Bucks wards. However, challenges remain in improving timely dementia diagnosis, with the proportion of diagnosed cases in Buckinghamshire lower than the national target.

Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA)

The Board was provided with an update on the progress of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), a statutory responsibility that provides the evidence base for the Health and Wellbeing Strategy. The JSNA aims to understand local needs, identify inequalities, and highlight opportunities for prevention and early intervention.

Over the past year, automated summary chapters for children and young people, and older adults, have been published, alongside topic reports on severe mental illness and physical health. For the coming year, planned topic reports include Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), Gambling Harms, Falls and Frailty, and Long Term Conditions.

Other Updates

• Buckinghamshire Executive Partnership (BEP): An update was provided on the BEP's focus on planning and delivery. This included a review of the Age Well programme and an overview of the Buckinghamshire Works Plan, which aims to reduce economic inactivity and improve access to employment, with a particular focus on residents in Opportunity Bucks wards and specific priority groups. The report also covered the Family First Partnership Programme and Best Start in Life initiatives, alongside updates on Joining Up Care and Integrated Neighbourhood Teams. Challenges in supporting children and young people with SEND were also acknowledged.
• Healthwatch Bucks Update: Healthwatch Bucks presented its quarterly update, highlighting projects undertaken in the last quarter. A key piece of work focused on awareness of the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS), revealing that a significant majority of respondents were unaware of the scheme. Recommendations were made to Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust, Buckinghamshire Council, and the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB) to improve publicity and accessibility of the scheme. Current projects include exploring the experiences of rural communities and how people in Buckinghamshire think about their health and wellbeing.
• Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire & Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB) Report: An update was provided on the activities of the BOB ICB, including joint committee meetings with NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board in preparation for the establishment of the new Thames Valley ICB on 1 April 2026. The report detailed the development of the operating model for the Thames Valley ICB, the submission of the final plan for 2026/27, and the strong response to the Thames Valley Innovation Fund. It also noted the additional leadership role taken by Dr Nick Broughton, Chief Executive of BOB and Frimley ICB, with NHS England.
• Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (BLMK ICB) Report: An update was provided on decisions made by the BLMK ICB Board, including progress on the transition to a single, new Central East ICB. The report highlighted the ongoing consultation with staff on new structures and the voluntary redundancy scheme, and the work on new governance structures in preparation for the new legal entity.

The meeting also included a review of the minutes from the previous meeting held on 27 November 2025 and a verbal report on public questions. The forward plan for future meetings was also discussed.