The Health Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to convene to discuss several key issues, including an update on the NHS/ICB Joint Forward Plan Refresh, the latest developments at Healthwatch Derbyshire, and the committee's proposed work programme. The meeting was also scheduled to address public questions and confirm the minutes of the previous meeting.

Joint Forward Plan Refresh

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (DDICB) Joint Forward Plan Refresh. The five-year plan, published two years prior, outlined a strategic approach to address structural issues within the local NHS system. The refresh was intended to review the NHS's contribution to improving health outcomes for children, young people, and older adults, as well as progress in managing major health conditions.

The report highlighted persistent challenges, including workforce imbalances and the need for greater integration of clinical workflows. It noted that while there was broad consensus on the value of integration at a strategic level, translating this into tangible change remained an area for further development.

The report stated that the NHS in Derby and Derbyshire had largely kept pace with national expectations around service recovery and access, and that its performance compared favourably with peer systems. The report also noted progress in laying the groundwork for long term change, such as the establishment of local, place-based teams, but that these developments remained relatively small in scale.

The report stated that the next phase of transformation would require renewed focus and a shift from foundational planning to tangible system wide implementation. It also noted that the forthcoming publication of the Government's 10-year plan presented an important opportunity to accelerate delivery and advance integration ambitions.

The stocktake on progress focused on assessing the extent of relative improvement over the last two years, in the quality-of-care provision across three broad areas:

• Developments in children and young people's health, with a particular focus on service access.
• Progress in the management and treatment of several major health conditions, including mental health, cancer and cardiometabolic health.
• Care quality and NHS responsiveness in relation to older adult health.

Healthwatch Derbyshire

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the latest position with Healthwatch Derbyshire, plus the latest bulletin showing the work recently done.

The Healthwatch Derbyshire engagement update bulletin included information about:

• Speaking with the community
• What they are hearing about
• Chesterfield Royal Hospital
• University Hospitals of Derby & Burton (UHDB)
• Cervical Screening Survey
• People who smoke and live in housing association homes
• Staff working with under 5-year-olds on providing flu vaccine information
• Enter and View visits
• Inpatient Mental Health
• Volunteering

The bulletin noted that Healthwatch Derbyshire engagement officers had connected with diverse groups of people, including those with learning disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people experiencing financial hardship.

The bulletin also noted that Healthwatch Derbyshire had received 221 comments about 98 different organisations this quarter, a big increase in comments since the last quarter due to Healthwatch England's campaign called Share your Care, which they shared on social media.

The top service categories were:

• General Practice (GP)
• Mental Health
• Dentistry
• A&E

The top themes were:

• Access to services
• Communication
• Quality of treatment
• Booking appointments

Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to consider the proposed work programme and make suggestions for future items.

Some possible future items that were listed were:

• NHS 10-year Plan (when published)
• Mental Health Crisis Support
• IVF Review/Fertility
• Urgent Care
• Living Well Derbyshire – short breaks
• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Healthwatch Derbyshire
• Long COVID
• Obesity jabs
• Asbestos
• Screen time for children

Public Questions

The meeting alloted a maximum of 30 minutes to address questions from members of the public. According to the Procedure for Public Questions at I S Committee meetings, questions had to be submitted in writing or by email to the Director of Legal Services no later than 12 noon three working days before the committee meeting.