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Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Wednesday, 20 May 2026 - 10.00 am
May 20, 2026 at 10:00 am Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee View on council websiteSummary
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The Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Cornwall Council met on Wednesday 20 May 2026 to discuss a range of critical health and social care issues affecting the region. Key decisions included the approval of the committee's work programme for the upcoming year, noting the establishment of a single leadership team for the Cornwall, Devon and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), and scrutinising Adult Social Care's performance against the Adult Social Care Outcome Framework (ASCOF). The committee also acknowledged the findings of a Healthwatch Cornwall report on GP access and the circumstances surrounding the termination of the River Practice orthodontic contract.
Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman
Councillor Chopak was elected as Chairman and Councillor Creek was elected as Vice-Chairman for the committee.
Minutes of Previous Meetings
The minutes from the meetings held on 7 January 2026 and 11 March 2026 were approved.
Public Questions
No public questions were received for this meeting.
Committee Work Programme 2026-2027
The committee approved its work programme for the 2026-2027 period. This programme outlines the key areas of scrutiny and investigation for the coming year, ensuring a focused approach to improving health and social care services across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Questions from Members to Cabinet Members on their Updates
Members of the committee posed questions to Cabinet Members regarding their departmental updates. The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health Partnerships highlighted the authority's recent 'Good' CQC assessment, with 70% of services rated as such, making Cornwall the highest performing adult social care authority in the South West. Areas for development included timeliness, consistency of service delivery, equitable access, and embedding safeguarding learning. The Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Health provided an update on dentistry, including the forthcoming Dentistry Summit, and mental health initiatives, emphasising prevention and partnership working.
Integrated Care Board Cluster Update, including 5 Year Commissioning Plan
The committee received an update on the clustering arrangements for the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (CIOS) and Devon ICBs. It was noted that a single leadership team had been established, with work underway to create a single workforce to support this team and operate within reduced running cost requirements for ICBs. The committee also reviewed the key elements of the CIOS 5-year commissioning plan (2026/27 to 2030/31), which aims to reshape health and care services to address rising demand, inequalities, workforce pressures, and financial constraints. The plan focuses on providing more local, joined-up, and proactive care, with a central ambition to improve outcomes and population health. The committee resolved to note the establishment of the single leadership team and support the key elements of the 5-year commissioning plan, advising which elements they wished to scrutinise further.
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Performance Report
This report summarised the performance of NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (CIOS) Integrated Care Board (ICB) against its operational priorities and constitutional standards for 2025/26. Key issues highlighted included challenges in 4-hour and 12-hour emergency department performance, with a deterioration in key indicators during the winter period. Ambulance handover times also remained below target. The report detailed actions being taken to improve patient flow, reduce delayed discharges, and address performance in areas such as Referral to Treatment (RTT) times, diagnostics, cancer waiting times, and mental health services. The committee resolved to acknowledge and discuss the performance issues, note the financial position, and note the Assurance Statement, which was still under development. A task and finish group was to be convened to consider discharge to assess and flow issues.
Adult Social Care Performance 2025/26, Adult Social Care Outcome Framework (ASCOF)
The committee scrutinised Adult Social Care's performance against the ASCOF measures, which assess the quality of care and support services in relation to outcomes that matter to people. The report detailed performance against key indicators for quality of life, independence, empowerment, safety, social connections, and continuity and quality of care. Cornwall generally performed well in areas such as supporting people to live in their own homes and the proportion of people receiving direct payments. Areas for development included the timeliness and consistency of service delivery, equitable access, and embedding safeguarding learning. The committee resolved to scrutinise the ASCOF performance, including trends and performance against locally agreed targets, and to challenge the key drivers and mitigating actions set out in the report.
Neighbourhood Health & Wellbeing: The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (CIOS) Approach
This briefing paper outlined the CIOS approach to implementing Neighbourhood Health, a national policy framework aimed at transforming health and care delivery by shifting resources and decision-making into communities. Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has been designated as a Wave 1 implementation site. The local strategy, Neighbourhood Health & Wellbeing,
aligns with Cornwall Council's strategic priorities and emphasises addressing the wider determinants of health. The committee noted the national policy framework, the rationale for the Neighbourhood Health & Wellbeing model, and took assurance that governance, leadership, and evaluation arrangements were proportionate to the programme's scale and ambition. They also agreed to a future scrutiny review in 12 months' time.
Healthwatch Cornwall - GP Access: An in-depth look at experience and insights
The committee considered a report from Healthwatch Cornwall detailing significant and persistent challenges in accessing general practice services across Cornwall. The report, based on feedback from 3,800 residents and professionals, highlighted issues such as difficulty booking appointments, long waiting times, digital exclusion, lack of continuity of care, and confusion about GP practice roles. Case studies demonstrated the serious consequences of delayed access, including missed diagnoses and increased reliance on emergency care. The committee resolved to scrutinise the Healthwatch report, acknowledge the issues and recommendations, and follow up on how they have been actioned by the system.
Orthodontic Provision following the closure of River Practice provider - To follow
The committee was informed about the termination of the contract with River Practice Ltd, an NHS orthodontic provider, due to significant and systemic failures in service delivery, including patient safety concerns. Mitigations were put in place to ensure continuity of care for affected patients, including establishing an urgent orthodontic care pathway, engaging with existing providers to support urgent capacity, and implementing a coordinated communications approach. The committee resolved to note the circumstances surrounding the contract termination and support the mitigations put in place.
Any Other Business that the Chairman Considers to be of Urgency
No urgent items of business were raised.
Delegated decisions linked to this meeting
Decision summaries below are AI-generated from the council’s published record. Check the council source or the full decision page before relying on them.
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Minutes of the Meeting held on 11 March 2026
Recommendations ApprovedThe Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Cornwall Council approved recommendations on 11 March 2026. They resolved to continue oversight of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board's clustering arrangements and welcomed transparency on merger and cluster aspects. The committee also recognised progress by the Health Determinants Research Collaborative and endorsed embedding personalisation and co-production across council services.
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Questions from Members to Cabinet Members on their updates
Recommendations ApprovedThe Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Cornwall Council noted recommendations on 20/05/2026. The Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Health approved the procurement of Community Drug and Alcohol Services for adults and young people via a competitive process. The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health Partnerships will make individual decisions on extra care site disposals and Shared Lives provider recommissioning on 8 July 2026.
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Committee Work Programme 2026-2027
Recommendations ApprovedThe Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Cornwall Council approved its Committee Work Programme for 2026-2027 on 20 May 2026. The committee also agreed that amendments to the programme between mid-year reviews would be determined by the Chair in consultation with the Vice-Chair, Senior Responsible Officer, and Democratic Services Lead.
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Orthodontic Provision following the closure of River Practice provider - To follow
Recommendations ApprovedThe Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Cornwall Council approved recommendations on 20/05/2026. The committee noted the circumstances of a contract termination notice and the mitigations put in place. Mitigations include establishing an urgent orthodontic care pathway, engaging existing providers for capacity, implementing a communications plan, and securing access to clinical records.
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Declarations of Interest
Recommendations ApprovedThe Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Cornwall Council approved recommendations on 20/05/2026.
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Election of Chairman
Recommendations ApprovedThe Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Cornwall Council decided that Cllr Chopack was elected Chairman. This decision was made on 20 May 2026.
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Any Other Business that the Chairman Considers to be of Urgency
Recommendations ApprovedThe Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Cornwall Council approved recommendations on 20/05/2026.
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Election of Vice Chairman
Recommendations ApprovedThe Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Cornwall Council decided on 20/05/2026 to approve recommendations. Cllr Creek was elected Vice Chairman.
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Healthwatch Cornwall - GP Access: An in-depth look at experience and insights
Recommendations ApprovedThe Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee acknowledged the Healthwatch Report GP Access: An in-depth look at experience and insights and resolved to follow up on its recommendations. The committee will explore the issues raised and how they have been actioned by the system.
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Public Questions
Recommendations ApprovedThe Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Cornwall Council approved recommendations on 20/05/2026.
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Minutes of the meeting held on 7 January 2026
Recommendations ApprovedThe Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Cornwall Council approved recommendations on 20 May 2026. The committee supported the continuation of plans to update sexual and reproductive health services. They also welcomed an update on research in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and the Commercial Research Delivery Centre. The committee received the Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report 2024-2025 and commended the work of the Safeguarding Adults Board and Team. They also noted the successful recruitment for the Peninsula Soft Tissue Sarcoma Services.
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Neighbourhood Health & Wellbeing The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (CIOS) Approach
Recommendations ApprovedThe Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Cornwall Council approved recommendations on 20 May 2026. The committee noted the national policy framework for neighbourhood health, the rationale for the Neighbourhood Health & Wellbeing model, and took assurance on governance arrangements. A further update report will be provided to the committee prior to the Integrated Neighbourhood Plan submission.
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Integrated Care Board Cluster update, including 5 year commissioning plan
Recommendations ApprovedThe Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee decided on 20/05/2026 to note the establishment of a single leadership team for the Cornwall, Devon and ICBs and support the key elements of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 5-year commissioning plan. The committee will advise which elements of the plan they wish to scrutinise as plans develop.
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Adult Social Care Performance 202526, Adult Social Care Outcome Framework (ASCOF)
Recommendations ApprovedThe Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee approved recommendations on 20/05/2026. The committee will scrutinise Adult Social Care's ASCOF performance, including trends and performance against locally agreed targets. Information was provided on co-production meetings, and members were invited to consider lived experience and case studies of young adults supported in employment and supported living accommodation.
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Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Performance Report
Recommendations ApprovedThe Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Cornwall Council decided to acknowledge and discuss performance issues, note the financial position and forecast, and note the assurance statement. The committee will convene a task and finish group to consider discharge to assess and flow issues, with the scope and membership delegated to the Chair. Actions include including Better Care Fund statutory information in future ASC performance reports, providing a briefing note on Reablement Services, investigating recurrent NHS messages about waiting lists, and considering visits to care homes.
Attendees
No attendees have been recorded for this meeting.
Topics
Meeting Documents
Agenda
Reports Pack
Minutes
Additional Documents