The Health and Wellbeing Board of Greenwich Council met on Tuesday 8 September 2026 to discuss the borough's Health and Wellbeing Strategy and its future direction. The meeting's agenda included a focus on healthy life expectancy, the existing Health and Wellbeing Strategy, and the governance of the Board.

Focus on Healthy Life Expectancy

A key item scheduled for discussion was a focus on healthy life expectancy. While the report pack indicated this topic was to follow, it did not provide further details on what was to be discussed.

The Greenwich Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2023-28

The Board was scheduled to note the existing Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which runs from 2023 to 2028. This strategy outlines the borough's priorities for improving mental and physical health and wellbeing, and tackling health inequalities. The report pack indicated that the Board would have oversight of the development of the Neighbourhood Health Plan, which is anticipated to replace the current strategy from the 2027-28 financial year. A recommendation was made to hold a half-day workshop to prepare for this transition, involving presentations from Senior Responsible Officers and reflections on the delivery of the current strategy.

The strategy itself, detailed in the report pack, is built upon the 'Our Greenwich' missions and the South East London Integrated Care Board's strategic priorities. It takes a life course approach, with priorities organised under headings such as Start Well, Be Well, Feel Well, Stay Well, and Age Well. Key areas of focus include ensuring children and young people get the best start in life, promoting physical activity and access to nutritious food, reducing the impact of addiction and dependency, improving mental health for adults and young people, ensuring equitable access to services, developing integrated community teams, reducing health inequalities, and supporting people and their carers to live fulfilling and independent lives. The strategy also highlights the importance of collaboration between the NHS, Greenwich Council, the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sectors, and residents.

Governance Discussion

The Board was also scheduled to discuss its own governance and forward plan. This included a review of the Board's membership and a discussion on how to effectively monitor progress, champion resident involvement, and maintain a focus on health inequalities and the wider determinants of health. The report pack suggested that the Board should focus on strategic oversight rather than operational delivery.

Declarations of Interest

The meeting agenda included a standard item for members to declare any personal or financial interests in the items under discussion. The report pack outlined the council's procedures for members declaring interests, distinguishing between personal and financial interests and the actions required in each case. Members were requested to note a list of their memberships on outside bodies, joint committees, and school governing bodies, and to orally declare any interests as they arose during the meeting.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The Board was scheduled to confirm the minutes of its previous meeting held on 23 June 2026. The report pack indicated that no motion or discussion would take place on the minutes except as to their accuracy. The minutes from the previous meeting, which are publicly available¹, show that the Board noted the submission of the Better Care Fund Plan for 2026-27 and endorsed its retrospective approval. They also discussed the Health and Wellbeing Board's role in neighbourhood development and the implications of national NHS reforms.