The Lambeth Together Care Partnership met on Thursday 5 March 2026 to discuss progress on the borough's health and care plan, focusing on key outcomes and future business planning. The meeting included updates on various programmes, including the Intensive Support Team for individuals with learning disabilities and autism, and progress on the Living Well Network Alliance.

Place Executive Lead Update

Andrew Eyres, Corporate Director for Integrated Health and Adult Social Care at Lambeth Council and the South East London Integrated Care Board (SEL ICB), provided an update on key developments since the last meeting. The report highlighted progress on initiatives such as the Women and Girls' Health Hub at Minnie Kidd House, the Age UK Lambeth 'Exercise and Socialise' Project, and the 'Find Sexual Health' online tool. It also noted the ongoing work of the Health and Wellbeing Bus, which engages with residents to provide health and support information, and the Lambeth Health Determinants Research Collaborative (HDRC). The report also touched upon strengthened partnerships in substance misuse treatment services and the continued rollout of Mental Health Support Teams in schools. Improvements in urgent and emergency care at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (KCH) and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT) were also mentioned, including the launch of a new digital check-in service at KCH and increased capacity for GSTT's Urgent Community Response team. The report also detailed the ongoing reform of the NHS, including the reduction of ICB running costs and the development of a new operating model.

Lambeth Learning Disabilities Intensive Support Team

Helen Bolger, Lead Commissioner for Learning Disabilities and Autism (LDA) at the SEL ICB and Lambeth Council, Dr Barbara Barter, Consultant Clinical Psychologist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM), Dr Judith Reep, Consultant Allied Health Professional at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT), and Jo Dwyer, Lead Occupational Therapist at GSTT, presented on the Lambeth Intensive Support Team (IST). The IST aims to prevent placement breakdowns and hospital admissions for people with learning disabilities and autistic individuals through rapid, flexible, community-based responses. The presentation highlighted the national policy context of reducing inpatient reliance and expanding community-based care, as well as local efforts to address inequalities, particularly for individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds who are disproportionately affected by restrictive practices. The team's functions include crisis intervention, system-wide planning, workforce development, and provider consultation, with a focus on trauma-informed care and least restrictive practices. A case study of Fabian was presented, illustrating how the IST intervened to prevent hospital admission and support a sustainable long-term care plan. The Board was asked to endorse the ongoing development and implementation of the IST and support partnership working with Lambeth Adults Social Care and the SEL ICB.

Lambeth Together Assurance Sub-Group (LTAG) Update

Warren Beresford, Associate Director of Health and Care Planning and Intelligence, presented an update from the Lambeth Together Assurance Group (LTAG) meeting held on 27 January 2026. The LTAG meeting focused on three key outcomes from the 'Our Health, Our Lambeth' Health and Care Plan: Outcome G (managing long-term health conditions), Outcome J (knowing where to get the right help), and Outcome K (supporting older adults to age well). Detailed updates were provided on interventions and impact measures related to diabetes care, blood pressure management, reducing polypharmacy, and community activities. The report noted a rise in the number of people aged 65+ prescribed 10 or more medicines, indicating a need for further investigation. Progress was reported on Type 2 diabetes care and blood pressure control, with ongoing efforts to reach national targets. The Pharmacy First service was discussed in relation to Outcome J, highlighting its role in providing convenient access to care and managing demand on GP practices. Updates on A&E waiting times and winter planning were also included. For Outcome K, an update on reablement services showed a consistently high proportion of people requiring reduced or no further care after intervention, and strong performance in providing carers' assessments. Work on expanding advance care planning and reducing inequalities in end-of-life services was also mentioned. The Board was asked to note the report from the LTAG and the associated Integrated Assurance Report.

Living Well Network Alliance (LWNA) Progress Update

Guy Swindle, Deputy Director of the Living Well Network Alliance (LWNA), presented proposed changes to neighbourhood working in the Living Well Centres, SLaM's voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) procurement, and highlights from the 2024/25 Progress Report. The presentation outlined a proposed move to neighbourhood working, where Living Well Centres would organise staff to provide support based on Lambeth's five neighbourhoods. This aims to ensure people are supported by teams familiar with their local areas and that support is clearer and more accessible. SLaM's VCSE procurement involves a £675,000 annual budget for enhanced mental health crisis prevention, housing and social support navigation, and partnership awards (small grants). The LWNA's 2024/25 progress report highlighted a focus on reducing crisis presentations, increasing early support for Black individuals, and improving recovery outcomes. A short film featuring Marcus and his experience with the Evening Sanctuary was also shown. The Board was asked to note the proposed changes and highlights from the progress report.

Lambeth Primary Care Commissioning Committee (PCCC) Update

Anna Marcus, Associate Director of Primary and Community Care, and Oge Chesa, Director of Primary Care and Transformation, presented an update on the Primary Care Commissioning Committee (PCCC). The Board was asked to note and support the content of the slide pack and ratify decisions made at the PCCC meetings on 21 January 2026 and the Extraordinary PCCC on 14 January 2026. Key decisions included the approval of the Lambeth Offer for 2026/27 as a transition year, focusing on coding, data quality, and Ardens monitoring. Changes to service specifications for seasonal flu payments, streamlining KPIs for SMI and physical health checks, expanding phlebotomy access, and introducing aspirational targets for childhood immunisation were also proposed. The Board was asked to ratify decisions regarding a VAT-related rent uplift for a Lambeth practice and a rent overpayment to another practice. Updates were also provided on the APMS Care Home contract, including lessons learned from procurement and mobilisation, and a change to the Hill, Brook and Dales (HBD) Primary Care Network (PCN) agreement following the removal of Lambeth Healthcare Practice.

Lambeth Together Business Planning 2026/27

Warren Beresford and Alex Jackson presented an update on the business planning for 2026/27. The presentation outlined the process followed to develop draft activities for the refreshed Lambeth Together Health and Care Plan for 2026/27, emphasising the focus on reducing inequalities and strengthening prevention. The draft activities are designed to improve access to high-quality, safe care and align with national priorities. The Board was asked to note the progress made, provide feedback on the draft activities, and approve the timeframes and remaining actions for the final refresh of the Lambeth Together Health and Care Plan for 2026/27. The appendix detailed proposed activities for Outcomes A through O, covering areas such as promoting positive behaviours, community connection, immunisation rates, mental wellbeing, sexual health, early diagnosis of physical conditions, managing long-term health conditions, timely access to care, supporting older adults, maternal healthcare, support for individuals with learning disabilities and autism, mental health recovery, and improving health for homeless individuals.