The Outer North East London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to discuss a health update, a deep dive into cancer services, and the proposed Superloop bus route SL12. The meeting's agenda also included a review of the previous meeting's minutes.

Health Update

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on various health issues affecting residents in Outer North East London. This update was expected to cover information from different NHS providers. The report indicated that the new careers hub for North East London (NEL) has been launched to help residents explore adult social care and health careers, find jobs, and learn about apprenticeships. It also highlighted ongoing efforts to address medication shortages, particularly for ADHD management and pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT). The report also included results from a staff survey, showing improvements in areas such as appraisals and staff recommendations for the organisation as a place to work. Furthermore, changes to Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) were noted, with a planned reduction in size and a focus on strategic commissioning. Positive developments in NEL were also highlighted, including transforming diabetes care for young adults and shortlisted awards. A finance overview was also presented, detailing the ICS deficit and the 2025/26 operating plan, which includes efficiency targets and funding allocations for primary care. Provider updates from Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospital NHS Trust were also included, covering urgent and emergency care, waiting lists, cancer targets, and financial performance. Collaborative updates from the Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Collaborative and the Community Healthcare Collaborative were also part of the health update, detailing work on dementia improvement, neurodiversity services, and community healthcare initiatives.

NEL ICB Deep Dive - Cancer

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to a deep dive into cancer services within the North East London Integrated Care Board (ICB). The report outlined the aims of the North East London Cancer Alliance, which include driving equity of access to cancer services and improving treatment outcomes to achieve survival rates among the best in the UK and Europe. It detailed cancer statistics for North East London, including the top cancer types diagnosed and the total number of people living with cancer. The report also presented performance against national cancer standards, such as the 28-day faster diagnosis standard, the 31-day decision to treatment standard, and the 62-day referral to treatment standard. Uptake rates for various cancer screening programmes, including bowel, cervical, breast, and lung cancer screening, were also provided, with specific borough data included. The report highlighted early diagnosis initiatives aimed at raising awareness and reducing health inequalities, such as the You Need to Know campaign and efforts to increase awareness within specific ethnic and community groups. Progress in diagnosis and treatment was detailed, including the use of Artificial Intelligence in chest X-rays, the rollout of treatment clinical animations, and improvements in teledermatology and histopathology. The report also covered the progress of Multidisciplinary Team Meetings (MDTs), the development of a Breast Pain Pathway, and advancements in oncology and gynaecology services. Personalised cancer care initiatives, including stratified follow-up, remote monitoring, and prehabilitation services, were also discussed. The workforce section addressed the oncology workforce review and plans for cancer MDT enhancement. Communications and engagement efforts, including community engagement, patient and carer support, podcasts, and social media presence, were also outlined. Finally, priorities for 2025/2026 were presented, focusing on operational performance, early diagnosis, reducing health inequalities, and improving priority cancer pathways.

Superloop Bus Route

Healthwatch Havering requested to discuss the new Superloop bus route SL12 with the committee. The report indicated that Transport for London is consulting on this new route, which would run from Gants Hill to Rainham via Romford. The discussion was intended to explore how the route could be better utilised to serve residents in Outer North East London.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The committee was scheduled to review and potentially approve the minutes from the previous meeting held on 14 January 2025. The minutes from that meeting indicated discussions on a health update, the medium-term financial strategy, and long-term conditions.