The Health and Wellbeing Board meeting scheduled for 11 June 2026 was set to cover a range of important topics, including the Better Care Fund Plan for 2026/27, feedback from neighbourhood health and wellbeing engagement events, and a discussion on the proposed Health Bill 2026. The board was also scheduled to review the DCIoS Health Protection Committee's Annual Assurance Report and consider the commitment to the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Isles of Scilly: Better Care Fund Plan 2026/27

The board was to consider the Isles of Scilly's Better Care Fund Plan for 2026/27. This plan outlines how the NHS and local authorities will pool budgets to deliver integrated and preventative care for individuals with complex health and social care needs, aiming to help them remain independent for longer. The plan focuses on continuing the delivery of objectives and schemes for the 'Neighbourhood agenda', which includes activities such as home-based intermediate care, wider local support to promote prevention and independence, and enhancing health and social care integration capacity. The report details the proposed expenditure for 2026/27 across various activities, including reablement services, community equipment provision, and recruitment and retention of the care workforce. Performance metrics for the plan include emergency admissions for those aged 65 and over, average length of discharge delay, and the rate of people aged 65 and over admitted to residential or nursing care homes.

Neighbourhood Health and Wellbeing Interim Engagement Feedback

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to reviewing interim feedback from neighbourhood health and wellbeing engagement events held in May 2026. Over 150 people participated in these events across St Mary's and four off-islands, as well as an online event and survey. The feedback indicated that local on-island health and care services are trusted and valued, with good access to primary care. However, access to specialist and emergency care is reportedly impacted by travel limitations, appointment planning, and service coordination. Key themes emerging from the engagement included:

• Access and Transport: This was identified as the biggest barrier, with travel described as complex, costly, unreliable, and weather-dependent, particularly during winter.
• Coordination: Services were perceived as fragmented and not aligned with island needs, leading to poor appointment planning.
• Burden on Residents: The financial, practical, and emotional impacts of travel and system navigation were significant concerns.
• Service Gaps: Limited on-island provision for diagnostics, mental health, screening, and X-rays was noted.
• Inequality: Off-island residents reported even more reduced access compared to St Mary's and mainland services.
• Wider Determinants: The cost of living, housing, and access to healthy lifestyles were identified as impacting health outcomes.
• Prevention: Access to in-person mental health support, self-care, and healthy eating were restricted.

The report outlined recommendations for future engagement, including widening participation, reviewing feedback to identify actions, and exploring opportunities to increase local health and wellbeing provision. Next steps include running additional online events, potentially posting surveys and updates to all islanders, and discussing future involvement models with Healthwatch Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.

Discussion Paper on the Health Bill 2026

The board was presented with a discussion paper on the Health Bill 2026, which proposes significant changes to the NHS operating model in England. Key proposed changes include the abolition of NHS England, strengthening the role of the Secretary of State, increasing commissioning responsibilities for Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), and placing greater emphasis on place-based planning through Joint Strategic Needs Assessments and new Neighbourhood Health Plans. For the Isles of Scilly, the paper highlighted the importance of ensuring local needs, prevention priorities, and community voices continue to influence planning and resource allocation. The paper suggested that future arrangements should reflect the distinct needs of a small, remote island community and that the board's understanding of local population health, service access, rurality, isolation, workforce constraints, and transport challenges should be clearly articulated. The board was asked to note the potential significance of these reforms and support further joint work with partners to assess local implications.

DCIoS Health Protection Committee Annual Assurance Report 2024-2025

The board was to receive the DCIoS Health Protection Committee's Annual Assurance Report for 2024-2025. This report provides assurance that effective arrangements were in place to protect the health of the population across Devon, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly. Key themes for the year included responding to infectious disease pressures such as pertussis and measles, cryptosporidium outbreaks, and avian influenza management, all supported by multi-agency surveillance and operational response. The report detailed performance in screening programmes (bowel, breast, cervical, antenatal/newborn, diabetic eye, and abdominal aortic aneurysm) and immunisation programmes (pre-school, school-aged, vaccinations in pregnancy, older people, and seasonal flu/COVID-19). It also covered healthcare-associated infections, antimicrobial resistance, and emergency planning, resilience, and response. The report highlighted strengths such as high performance in many screening and immunisation programmes, strong multi-agency outbreak response, and robust emergency preparedness, while also noting key risks and areas for continued focus, including high C. difficile rates and below-target MMR uptake.

Commitment to Remaining Part of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

The board was asked to confirm its wish to remain part of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and commit resources to this undertaking. A review of the strategy had been presented to the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Committee in Common, which endorsed the case for a refreshed strategy to ensure continued alignment with national policy, system priorities, and updated local evidence. The proposed strategic direction includes embedding a Prevent, Reduce, Delay framework, adopting a life-course approach, strengthening neighbourhood-based delivery, and focusing action on areas where outcomes have deteriorated. The Committee in Common had requested urgent confirmation from the Isles of Scilly Health and Wellbeing Board regarding its commitment. The report noted that at an informal meeting of the Isles of Scilly Health and Wellbeing Board on 9 April 2026, there was general agreement to remain committed to a joint strategy to avoid fragmentation.

CIOS SAB Annual Report 2024-2025

The board was scheduled to receive and note the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Safeguarding Adults Board (CIoS SAB) Annual Report for 2024-2025. This report details the Board's activity against its strategic priorities and includes partner activity related to safeguarding adults. It covers learning from Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs), partner data, and subgroup activity, evidencing efforts to prevent and respond to abuse and neglect. The report highlights an increase in safeguarding concerns and Section 42 enquiries, with the local authority noting that this is largely attributable to changes in internal processes and recording systems. Key themes of abuse continue to be self-neglect, physical abuse, and psychological abuse. The report also details the commissioning and publication of three SARs during the year, including two joint SAR/Domestic Homicide Reviews, and outlines progress on implementing learning from SARs, including the establishment of a SAR Implementation Panel. The report also includes updates from statutory and non-statutory partners, such as NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ICB, Devon and Cornwall Police, and Healthwatch Cornwall, detailing their contributions to safeguarding work.