The Health and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Wednesday 09 September 2026 to discuss winter pressures, the Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire Annual Report, and a performance update on health, public health, and communities. Key discussions included the effectiveness of winter planning, the impact of Healthwatch's work, and performance metrics across various health and community services.

Winter Pressures

The committee received an update on the management of health system pressures during the winter of 2025/26 and preparations for winter 2026/27. Eileen Doyle, Chief Delivery Officer for the NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (ICB), provided a verbal update on ongoing winter planning. The final Winter Plan was expected to be considered by the ICB in September 2026, with a more detailed update to be provided to scrutiny committees in November 2026. The discussion highlighted that while planning was in progress, the final arrangements were still being developed.

Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire Annual Report 2025-26

The committee reviewed the Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire Annual Report for 2025-26. Fiona Barber, from Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire, presented the report, which detailed the organisation's activities, including public engagement, information services, and the impact of their recommendations on local health and social care services. Key achievements highlighted included engagement with over 46,000 people, 15,000 residents sharing their experiences, and 31,500 people receiving information and signposting. The report also outlined priorities for 2026-27, focusing on the Pharmacy First programme, digital access to NHS services, and tackling health inequalities.

Concerns were raised about the potential abolition of Healthwatch nationally, with a recent parliamentary debate indicating that amendments to preserve local Healthwatch functions might be made. The report noted that Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire is funded by Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council until March 2027.

Discussions also touched upon specific Healthwatch projects, including a review of Neighbourhood Mental Health Cafes, a Women and Girl's Health Programme, a Supported Living Review, and a review of hospital discharge processes. The committee noted the findings of the hospital discharge review with concern, particularly regarding communication with patients and medication readiness.

Health, Public Health and Communities Performance Update

The committee received a performance update covering health systems, public health outcomes, and the new communities theme. Andy Brown from Business Intelligence at the County Council and Zafar Saleem, Assistant Chief Executive, presented the report.

Health System Performance: The report indicated that University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) was behind plan for Emergency Department performance, with increased attendances attributed partly to heatwaves. Mental health services across Leicestershire Partnership Trust and Northamptonshire were also noted as being behind plan for most metrics. However, there were positive notes regarding Mental Health Talking Therapies, diagnostics, primary care appointments exceeding plans, and improvements in ambulance handover times at UHL.

Public Health Outcomes: The report detailed performance against public health indicators, with 14 green (better than England average), 18 amber, and 5 red indicators. Areas of significant improvement included breast and bowel cancer screening coverage, while cervical cancer screening coverage showed a decline. Red indicators included HIV late diagnosis, STI testing rates, NHS Health Check uptake, breastfeeding prevalence, and overweight/obesity prevalence in adults. Discussions highlighted the complexity of these metrics, with factors such as low prevalence areas, funding limitations, and national trends influencing performance. The committee expressed a desire for more detailed analysis and forward-looking plans for the red indicators.

Better Care Fund and Adult Social Care Health/Integration Performance: The report noted that Leicestershire's performance in discharging adult patients from acute hospitals on their discharge ready date was below target (86.2% achieved against a target of 89%). Residential admissions for older people had increased, with a forecast of 972 admissions for 2025/26, and detailed analysis was underway to understand the reasons.

Communities Performance: A new draft dashboard for communities performance was presented, reflecting a restructured departmental approach and a new draft Strategic Plan with communities as a priority theme. Key findings from the Community Insight Survey indicated high satisfaction with local areas as places to live and an increase in volunteering. However, the percentage of people agreeing that people from different backgrounds get on well together was lower than the previous year. Discussions focused on the methodology of the community survey, ensuring representativeness, and the low figure of 20% of residents feeling they can influence local decisions. The concept of community resilience was also discussed, with efforts underway to develop a joint programme with partners to identify and support vulnerable individuals and communities.

The committee also discussed the importance of promoting healthy lifestyles, with particular attention to healthy life expectancy, obesity, alcohol-related conditions, and the need for a more integrated approach to prevention and intervention. The role of the council in encouraging exercise and the challenges of accessing healthcare, particularly in rural areas, were also raised.

The meeting concluded with a note that the next meeting would be held on Wednesday 4 November 2026.