The Lambeth Together Care Partnership met on Thursday 9 January 2025 to discuss a range of health and care initiatives across the borough. Key decisions included the ratification of updated Terms of Reference for the Partnership, ensuring a continued focus on tackling health inequalities and community engagement. The Board also noted progress on the Lambeth Suicide Prevention Strategy and supported further data sharing to inform its development.

Lambeth Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025-2030

The Board received an update on the Lambeth Suicide Prevention Strategy, which is being refreshed for 2025-2030. Merwaan Chaudhry, Public Health Specialist – Mental Health & Wellbeing at Lambeth Council, presented the strategy's progress and proposed changes. The strategy aims to reduce suicides in Lambeth to as close to zero as possible, acknowledging that approximately 16 people die by suicide in the borough each year. While Lambeth's suicide rate is lower than London's average, this difference is not statistically significant. The strategy highlights that suicide rates are higher among more deprived groups in England.

Discussions during the meeting focused on several key areas:

• Community Engagement and Research: Dr Dianne Aitken, GP and Assistant Chair of NHS SEL CCG, inquired about the use of community research organisations and engagement via the Living Well Network Alliance (LWNA). Merwaan Chaudhry confirmed that community research would be considered and that the team would be mindful of how sensitive topics are approached.
• Mental Health Awareness: Dr Penelope Jarrett, GP and Chair of Lambeth LMC, noted an increase in men's openness to discussing mental health and welcomed ongoing funding for The Listening Place and Cruse Bereavement Service.
• Identifying Risk Factors: Councillor Judith Cavanagh, Young People's Champion at Lambeth Council, asked about identifying the reasons behind suicides, such as gambling, and whether specific outreach teams exist. Merwaan Chaudhry explained the difficulty in predicting suicidal behaviour and noted that while Public Health cannot provide individual support, they can analyse risk factors from reports to identify common themes. He also mentioned ongoing work within the Public Health team on the impact of gambling.
• Engaging Vulnerable Individuals: Jasmina Lijesevic, a Lay Member of the Lambeth Together Care Partnership Board, raised concerns about engaging individuals who struggle to communicate verbally and the challenges faced by young adults due to stretched Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Dan Stoten offered to connect with Merwaan Chaudhry to discuss CAMHS and the Children and Young People's Alliance (CYP).
• Social Media and Mental Health: Dr Raj Mitra, GP and Clinical Lead for the Lambeth Children and Young People's Alliance, asked about research linking social media use to depression and suicide. Merwaan Chaudhry stated that while research links social media to general mental health and wellbeing, the connection to suicide is not as strong and is not currently included in national guidance.
• Support for School Staff: Andrew Eyres, Place Executive Lead Lambeth, asked about support for school staff. Merwaan Chaudhry confirmed that suicide prevention training is tailored for those working with children and young people and that the refreshed strategy will aim to provide more specific support.
• Social Prescribers and Outreach: Lorraine Gordon, Interim Director of the Living Well Network Alliance, inquired about linking with social prescribers for gambling outreach. Merwaan Chaudhry indicated that this could be explored as part of the strategy.

The Board resolved to note the progress of the Lambeth Suicide Prevention Strategy and support further opportunities for sharing relevant data, such as self-harm and suicide attempts data from Emergency Departments. Several actions were agreed, including gathering information on Oliver McGowan training, meeting to discuss CAMHS links, contacting Age UK Gambling Link Workers, and sharing data with Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.

Ageing Well in Lambeth

Paul Coles, Chief Executive of Age UK Lambeth, Josepha Reynolds, Director of the Neighbourhood and Wellbeing Delivery Alliance (NWDA), and Megan Coe, Public Health Specialist, presented on the Ageing Well in Lambeth initiative. The discussion covered various aspects of supporting older residents, including exercise and social classes, transport accessibility, support for housebound individuals, and the impact of outdoor space obstructions.

Key points raised included:

• Complementary Services: Paul Coles clarified that exercise and socialise classes are complementary to other offerings and that referrals are taken from the Falls Prevention team.
• Support for Housebound Residents: Age UK Lambeth has focused on re-socialising older people who became fearful of leaving their homes during the pandemic. Online exercise classes are available, and a Befriending Scheme is in place.
• Transport Challenges: Age UK Lambeth is aware of transport issues and has unsuccessfully applied for funding for a volunteer driver scheme.
• Freedom Pass Changes: The impact of changes to freedom pass start times on older residents attending appointments was noted as an area for further understanding.
• Day Trips: Day trips organised by Age UK Lambeth are popular and fill up quickly, with a desire to offer more if volunteers are available.
• Accessibility of Public Spaces: Megan Coe acknowledged concerns about obstacles on pavements, such as e-bikes and scooters, and highlighted that the Council's Kerbside Strategy aims to widen pavements in identified areas.
• Holistic Support: Josepha Reynolds discussed the frailty work at Fiveways Primary Care Network (PCN), which involved a Community Physio Day offering holistic assessments from various professionals and community organisations. The aim is to test this model and potentially expand it across the borough.
• Early Intervention: Bimpe Oki, Acting Director of Public Health, emphasised the importance of addressing ageing well issues early to manage long-term conditions effectively into old age.

The Board resolved to note the progress of Age-Friendly Lambeth and Age UK Lambeth, support upcoming work, and discuss how partners can contribute to supporting residents to age well.

Lambeth Together Primary Care Commissioning Committee Update

Jasmina Lijesevic and Oge Chesa provided an update on the Primary Care Commissioning Committee (PCCC) meeting held on 20 November 2024.

Key points discussed included:

• Interpreting Services: Dr Penelope Jarrett highlighted the newly procured interpreting service, noting that practices need to be informed about its implementation in April. She also clarified that the service is for general practice only and does not extend to pharmacies, optometry, or dentistry.
• Investment in General Practice: Dr Jarrett mentioned that Lambeth has a higher discretionary spend in general practice compared to other parts of South East London.
• Lambeth Offer Project: Oge Chesa explained that the Lambeth Offer is an ambitious project to update the existing incentive programme for general practice, ensuring it aligns with the Lambeth Health and Care Plan and national policy changes.

The Board ratified the decisions made at the PCCC meeting, noting the update on discussions and approving the evaluation of existing schemes, the Project Initiation Document (PID), and the Primary Care Commissioning Intentions letter for 2025/2026.

Business and Financial Planning 2025/26 - Health and Care Plan Review

Warren Beresford and Alex Jackson presented on the business and financial planning for 2025/26, focusing on the review of the Health and Care Plan.

Discussions covered:

• Productivity: Dr Raj Mitra raised the topic of NHS productivity and how plans for the upcoming year will address this.
• GP Funding: Dr Penelope Jarrett highlighted that GP funding differs from that of councils and trusts.
• Defining Neighbourhood : Dr George Verghese suggested the need to clearly define what a neighbourhood means to residents in Lambeth, acknowledging that this may vary across communities. Jasmina Lijesevic agreed, noting a potential disconnect and overuse of the term. Josepha Reynolds emphasised that this is an evolving concept that requires clear communication and engagement with residents and partners.
• System Integration: Andrew Eyres stressed the importance of viewing the health and care system as a whole to avoid duplication.

The Board resolved to note the requirements for 2025/26 business planning, provide feedback on the approach, and commit to collaborating on an impactful plan. A further discussion on the development of neighbourhood teams in Lambeth will be scheduled for future meetings.

Lambeth Together Care Partnership - Terms of Reference Annual Review

Alex Jackson provided an update on the annual review of the Lambeth Together Care Partnership Board's Terms of Reference. Changes discussed and proposed at previous seminars have been incorporated, and the updated terms of reference have been agreed.

The Board ratified the recommended updates to the Terms of Reference and approved the proposed January 09, 2025, version for submission to the South East London Integrated Care Board (SEL ICB) Board. The updated Terms of Reference explicitly reference the commitment to tackle health inequalities, ensure equitable access to care, and promote meaningful community engagement.

Questions from Public Attendees

• Basia Brzeziecka raised concerns about isolation among people living alone with dementia, highlighting the need for support workers to assist with appointments and accessing services. She requested to exchange details with Jack Gerrard from Age UK.
• Sarah Flanagan inquired about the availability of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake information. Warren Beresford confirmed that national data is published and benchmarking data would be shared.
• Martin Heath asked for clarification regarding annual health checks, noting they are available for people with learning disabilities and autism, but not for autistic individuals without learning disabilities. Jasmina Lijesevic confirmed this is an ongoing issue that has been raised nationally.

Actions were agreed to follow up Basia Brzeziecka's question, respond to Martin Heath via email, and share HPV vaccine benchmarking data.

The next meeting of the Lambeth Together Care Partnership Public Board was confirmed for Thursday 6 March 2025 at Brixton Library. Feedback on meeting accessibility was noted, and members were encouraged to complete a Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment survey.