The Health and Wellbeing Board was scheduled to discuss progress on smoking cessation and tobacco control, and to consider the evolving role of Health and Wellbeing Boards in shaping neighbourhood health. The meeting also included a review of the minutes from the previous meeting and plans for the next gathering.

Smoking Cessation and Tobacco Control

A report was scheduled to update the Joint Health and Wellbeing Board on progress made under Ambition 2 of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which focuses on improving wellbeing and preventing ill health. The discussion was expected to centre on smoking cessation, tobacco control, and the harms associated with vaping across Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea. Smoking remains a significant cause of preventable illness and premature death, with disproportionately high rates among certain demographics, including those living in deprivation, individuals with mental health needs, some ethnic minority communities, pregnant women, and those experiencing substance misuse. The report highlighted a concerning increase in vaping experimentation among children and young people, necessitating robust prevention strategies and consistent messaging.

The proposed approach to tobacco control was a comprehensive, whole-system strategy encompassing:

• Prevention: Focusing on children and young people through education, diversionary activities, and commissioned services like Re:start.
• Enforcement: Led by Trading Standards, targeting illicit tobacco and vapes, and enforcing age restrictions, supported by new powers under the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026.
• Smoking Cessation Support: Provided by One You Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster – Be Tobacco Free, offering behavioural support and medication, with tailored pathways for priority groups.
• Integrated Delivery: Embedding smoking cessation within various health pathways, including cardiovascular, mental health, substance misuse, maternity, and neighbourhood-based prevention.

Partnership working, including the emerging Local Tobacco Control Alliance, was to be discussed as a means to coordinate these efforts and reduce inequalities. The report detailed smoking prevalence data for both Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea, noting higher rates among men, individuals with long-term mental health conditions, and Black Caribbean communities. It also highlighted concerning rates of vaping among secondary school pupils.

The report also outlined specific initiatives, such as the Re:start service for young people, enforcement actions by Trading Standards, and the implications of the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, which introduces measures like a licensing scheme for retailers and a ban on tobacco sales to those born after 1 January 2009. Support for residents to quit smoking through the One You service was detailed, with figures on quit dates set and successful quits at four weeks. The report emphasised a targeted approach to priority groups, including those with mental health conditions, pregnant women, and residents in deprived communities, and discussed integration with cardiovascular and acute care pathways.

The New Role of Health and Wellbeing Boards in Neighbourhood Health

The Board was scheduled to consider a paper outlining the strategic role of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Board in shaping neighbourhood health. This discussion was prompted by national shifts in health and care delivery, including the NHS 10 Year Health Plan, the NHS Neighbourhood Health Framework, and the publication Fit for the Future: Towards Population Health Delivery Models. These documents collectively establish Neighbourhood Health as the core model for future NHS delivery, emphasising prevention, proactive care, integration, and the reduction of inequalities.

The report explained that care is to be organised around defined neighbourhood populations, delivered by integrated neighbourhood teams, and increasingly supported by population-based commissioning. The West North London Integrated Care Board (WNL ICB), in collaboration with local authorities and Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs), is expected to lead this transition. The paper stressed that HWBs are not peripheral stakeholders but are the primary place-based forums for agreeing neighbourhood priorities, outcomes, and plans, providing democratic leadership and ensuring alignment with local population needs.

For the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) and Westminster, this presents an opportunity to align neighbourhood health with local priorities such as inequalities, housing, the cost of living, mental health, and inclusion. The HWBs are positioned as strategic anchors for place-based population health leadership, ensuring that neighbourhood models reflect the realities of diverse and unequal inner London populations.

The discussion was expected to cover the national direction towards neighbourhood health and population health delivery models, detailing the shifts from hospital-based to community-based care, reactive treatment to prevention, and fragmented delivery to integrated systems. The report highlighted that neighbourhood health cannot be delivered by the NHS alone and requires strong place-based leadership, with HWBs playing a central role. The introduction of population-based delivery models, such as Single Neighbourhood Providers (SNPs) and Multi-Neighbourhood Providers (MNPs), aims to strengthen integrated neighbourhood teams, enable more preventative and coordinated care, and reduce avoidable hospital use.

The paper also addressed the West North London context, characterised by high population density, mobility, and sharp inequalities, and the critical role of HWB leadership in agreeing meaningful neighbourhood footprints that align with local authority geographies and place-based strategies. The HWB's role was defined as providing system-wide oversight of neighbourhood health outcomes, holding partners accountable for managing health inequalities, and ensuring alignment with longer-term population health goals. Furthermore, HWBs are expected to ensure democratic accountability and incorporate resident and voluntary and community sector voices.

The report noted the positive equalities implications, with neighbourhood health models offering a key mechanism to reduce health inequalities.