The Health and Adult Services Scrutiny Committee of Lancashire County Council is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, 4 November 2026. The meeting's agenda includes discussions on winter planning and response, the Adult Social Care Self-Assessment 2026, and the Health Scrutiny Steering Group's report. The committee will also review its recommendations tracker and work programmes for the upcoming year.

Winter Planning and Response

A significant portion of the meeting is expected to focus on the arrangements for winter 2026/27 concerning health and adult social care across Lancashire and South Cumbria. The report on this topic is set to detail system preparedness, operational escalation procedures, admission avoidance strategies, and hospital discharge processes. It will also cover national ambitions for urgent and emergency care, including targets for Emergency Department performance and ambulance response times. The presentation is expected to outline the coordinated approach to winter planning, developed with input from various health and care partners.

Adult Social Care Self-Assessment 2026

The committee is scheduled to review the Adult Social Care Self-Assessment 2026. This report aims to provide assurance on the progress made since the Care Quality Commission's (CQC) 2025 assessment, which rated Lancashire Adult Social Care as Requires Improvement. The self-assessment is structured around four themes: working with people, including unpaid carers; providing support; ensuring safety; and leadership. It highlights measurable progress in areas such as reducing waiting times for Care Act assessments and improving first-contact resolution rates. However, it also identifies continuing challenges, including waits for planned reviews and occupational therapy, and the need for stronger evidence of equity and people's experiences. The report will also touch upon the council's response to the Southport Public Inquiry and the ongoing Local Government Reorganisation.

Report of the Health Scrutiny Steering Group

The committee will receive an overview of the Health Scrutiny Steering Group's meeting held on 6 October 2026. This group's primary role is to manage the committee's workload, particularly in light of changes to health services. The steering group's agenda included discussions on the Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, NHS corridor care, and vascular and orthodontics services reconfigurations. The report is expected to detail the steering group's findings and any recommendations made to the main committee.

Recommendations Tracker and Work Programmes 2026/27

The committee will review an updated recommendation tracker, which outlines actions and requests from previous meetings, along with the timescales for responses and updates. Additionally, the work programmes for both the Health and Adult Services Scrutiny Committee and the Health Scrutiny Steering Group for 2026/27 will be presented. These programmes are dynamic and can be adjusted to accommodate emerging priorities.

The meeting is scheduled to take place in Committee Room 'C' - The Duke of Lancaster Room, County Hall, Preston.