The Hampshire Health and Adult Social Care Select Committee met to discuss several key issues, including updates on the Whitehill and Bordon Health Hub, community pharmacy services, the NHS 10-year plan, maternity services, and hospital discharge performance. The committee also reviewed and approved its work programme for the upcoming year, ensuring continued focus on critical areas within health and social care.

Whitehill and Bordon Health Hub Update

The committee received an update on the progress of the new Whitehill and Bordon Health Hub, a project aimed at integrating primary medical care, community pharmacy, and community health services onto a single site.

The NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB) is collaborating with the Whitehill and Bordon Regeneration Company (WBRC), East Hampshire District Council (EHDC), and other partners to establish the hub. Recent challenges, including increased construction and borrowing costs, have impacted the project's financial appraisal. The District Valuation Service determined that the developer's recent terms were not value for money .

The ICB is exploring public funding options to purchase the Health Hub asset post-completion, which could remove private sector commercial pressures. All parties, including the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), HIOW ICB, and EHDC, are committed to exploring this option.

The committee also heard that all terms have been agreed with the partners of Badgerswood and Forest Surgeries to secure acceptable lease terms for space in the Health Hub, subject to conclusion of the General Medical Service (GMS) rent reimbursement terms.

The committee was informed of community interest from groups like Save the Chase Community Hospital and You know the chase makes sense . The ICB clarified that services currently operating at the Chase Community Hospital have been replanned into the health hub, with primary care accommodation almost double that of the Forest Surgery. The Chase Community Hospital will remain open until a viable alternative is available.

Community Pharmacy Update

The committee received an update on community pharmacy services, covering the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2025-26, Pharmacy First Service Delivery Clinical Pathways, Pharmacy Contraception Service, and Hypertension Case Finding Service.

Key points from the update included:

• Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework: Funding increases, dispensing activity fee adjustments, service fee changes, and bundled service requirements.
• Service Expansions: Introduction of depression as a therapeutic area, initiation of contraception after emergency hormonal contraception (EHC), smoking cessation services, and expansion of the Hypertension Case Finding Service.
• Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) for 2025/26: Expansion of skill mix, enabling pharmacy technicians to administer and supply certain medicines using Patient Group Directions (PGDs).[^2] [^2]: A Patient Group Direction (PGD) is a written instruction for the supply and/or administration of medicines to a group of patients who may not be individually identified before presentation for treatment.
• Pharmacy First Service: Data on consultations delivered in 2024-25 and planned for 2025-26, including clinical pathways, hypertension service, and contraception service.
• Community Pharmacy Independent Pathfinder Programme: This program aims to establish a framework for future commissioning of NHS community pharmacy clinical services, incorporating independent prescribing for patients in primary care. Hampshire and Isle of Wight has been allocated six pilot sites, which are all live and have delivered 442 consultations so far. Patient satisfaction with the pilot has been high.

The update also highlighted the role of pharmacists in primary care, including ensuring safe medication supply, providing advice on medicines, delivering Pharmacy First services, supporting prevention agendas, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

The committee also discussed the NHS 10-year plan vision for community pharmacy, which includes strengthening neighbourhood health teams, expanding preventative services, enabling digital and data integration, modernising dispensing, and measuring outcomes.

NHS National 10 Year Plan and the Future of the Integrated Care Boards

The committee received an update on the NHS National 10 Year Plan and its implications for integrated care boards (ICBs). The plan sets out long-term national priorities for the NHS, including shifting care from hospitals to communities, moving from analogue to digital services, and focusing on prevention.

The HIOW ICB supports the plan and aims to improve access to care and promote healthier lives. The ICB's strategic commissioning intentions align with the plan's goals, focusing on population health, evidence-based strategy, and value from resources.

Key aspects of the plan's delivery in Hampshire include:

• Hospital to Community: Initiatives like the Pharmacy First scheme, which brings care closer to home by allowing pharmacies to treat common minor illnesses.
• Analogue to Digital: Adopting digital tools like Dora, an artificial intelligence telephone assistant, to reduce waiting times for cataract surgery patients.
• Sickness to Prevention: Promoting vaccinations and joint working between the NHS and Hampshire County Council's Public Health team to raise awareness of preventable illnesses.

The committee also reviewed an executive summary of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England, which outlines key shifts in healthcare delivery and priorities for the coming decade.

Hampshire Hospitals Maternity Services Update

The committee received an update on the development of alongside midwifery units (AMUs) at Hampshire Hospitals, aimed at providing a safe alternative birth option for women. The Winchester Birth Centre, an AMU, is now open and operational.

The update highlighted that national guidance recommends women should have access to all four recognised birth settings: home, freestanding midwifery unit, alongside midwifery unit, and obstetric unit. Midwifery units promote autonomy, health, and wellbeing, with improved outcomes for low-risk women.

The Winchester Birth Centre is located within the Royal Hampshire County Hospital and is staffed by a dedicated team of midwives. Offering AMU care is expected to reduce intervention rates and improve maternal wellbeing.

Future plans include developing an AMU at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, with rooms already sectioned off and plans being explored to add pools and signage.

Whole Hospital System Discharges

The committee received a combined report from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Adults Health and Care, Frimley Integrated Care Board, and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Boards on whole hospital system discharges. Hampshire's discharge approach follows the government's recommended Discharge to Assess model, supporting better outcomes for residents.

Key points from the report included:

• Performance: Over 20,000 people were supported to leave hospital in 2024/25 with additional health and/or social care.
• Challenges: Hospitals continue to face high occupancy rates for people requiring discharge.
• Opportunities: Improving the percentage of discharges that are pathway 0 (home with no formal support) and moving closer to the national target for pathway 1 discharges (home with a package of care).
• Delays: Hampshire residents experience longer delays in hospital compared to the national average. Top reasons for delays include interface problems sharing information, timeliness of referrals, and process issues.

The report also highlighted the importance of early discharge planning, timely referrals, quality of information, and effective use of escalations.

Work Programme

The committee considered and approved its work programme for 2025/26. Key topics for the upcoming year include:

• Proposals to vary health services in Hampshire
• Whitehill & Bordon Health and Wellbeing Hub Update
• Frimley Park New Hospital
• Hospices Funding
• Update on Care Quality Commission Preparations including the Local Account
• Care Quality Commission Inspections of Health Care Providers
• Systems Resilience (Adults' Health and Care Commissioning Overview)
• Vaccinations – winters ready
• Annual update Public Health Strategy – Year of Health
• Director of Public Health Annual Report
• Managing Urgent Care Demand over Winter
• Maternity Services
• Budget
• Care Homes Changes
• SP25 Proposals for savings (Phase 1)
• SP25 Proposals for savings (Phase 2)
• Access to Primary Care in Hampshire (neighbourhood working)
• Annual Safeguarding and Quality Report
• Health and Wellbeing Board Annual Report
• Ambulance Performance
• Dental Services
• Primary Care Access
• Strategic Review of Primary Care in Hampshire
• Hospital Whole System Discharge Performance 2024/25
• Impact of New Housing Policy on Future NHS Demand
• Pharmacy Provision/Access

The committee agreed to prioritise potential items for the work programme, with allocation to be determined by Councillor Bill Withers Lt Col, Chair of the Health and Adult Social Care Select Committee, in consultation with the Director of Adult's Health and Care.