The Newcastle Health and Wellbeing Board met to discuss several key issues impacting the city's health and wellbeing, including the annual report, employment programmes, mental health in the workforce, pharmaceutical needs, and the NHS 10-year plan. The board noted the annual report, endorsed the recommendations for addressing mental health challenges in the workforce, and reviewed the findings of the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment. They also received an update on the Connect to Work programme and the NHS 10-year health plan.

• Health and Wellbeing Board Annual Report 2024-2025
• Connect to Work - Local Supported Employment Programme
• Addressing Mental Health Challenges for a Thriving Workforce
• Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2025-28
• 10 Year Health Plan for Newcastle: Fit for the Future
• Outcome of Pharmacy appeals in Heaton and Kenton

Health and Wellbeing Board Annual Report 2024-2025

The board reviewed the Health and Wellbeing Board Annual Report 2024-2025, which summarised the work undertaken by the board since September 2024. The report highlighted the board's responsibilities, including promoting system working, developing a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), overseeing the Better Care Fund¹, and receiving the Director of Public Health Annual Report. Key areas of focus included the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2023-28, the JSNA, and the Newcastle Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) 2025-28. The board also received updates on various reports and business items, such as the Healthwatch Annual Report, Safeguarding Adults and Children's Partnership Annual Reports, the Newcastle Plan, Marmot City initiatives, VCSE challenges, and health-related behaviour among schoolchildren.

The report also proposed future governance arrangements, meeting structure and work plan for the board regarding reporting and updates for the Marmot City and Health Equity in All Policies work programmes.

Connect to Work - Local Supported Employment Programme

Councillor Karen Kilgour, Leader of the Council and Keith Hogan, Head of Service, Care and Support Service and Steve Williamson, Supported Employment Manager, Newcastle City Council, presented an update on the Connect to Work Local Supported Employment Programme. This programme supports people living with autism and other learning disabilities into employment. The programme aims to support at least 525 people on their road to employment over the 5-year period.

The presentation highlighted the benefits of paid employment, including increased self-worth, confidence, and social status. The service utilises a five-stage supported employment model: engagement, vocational profiling, employer engagement, job matching, and in-work support and career progression.

Addressing Mental Health Challenges for a Thriving Workforce

Chris Ord, Work & Thrive Newcastle Partnership Co-ordinator, presented the findings and recommendations of the report, Addressing Mental Health Challenges for a Thriving Workforce. The report, commissioned by Newcastle's Work & Thrive Employment Partnership, highlighted mental ill-health as a significant barrier to accessing and remaining in work.

The report recommended developing bespoke mental health support, funding employment support organisations, embedding employment and skills support into community assets, influencing the future workforce supply for mental health, addressing issues with Access to Work², and embedding mental health into the Youth Guarantee offer. The board endorsed the recommendations and discussed disseminating the report to key stakeholders, including the North East Combined Authority, local councillors, and senior leaders.

Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2025-28

Jessica Hamilton, Public Health Analyst, presented the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2025-2028 for approval. The PNA is a statutory document that assesses the pharmaceutical needs of the population and the provision of pharmacy services across the city.

The report highlighted that Newcastle has 54 community pharmacies, one distance selling pharmacy, and one dispensing appliance contractor. It identified gaps in the provision of necessary services in Heaton, Cruddas Park, and Kenton. The PNA also included an Equality Impact Assessment, highlighting areas of benefit and disadvantage.

The board agreed to the conclusions and recommendations in the draft PNA 2025-2028, allowing for publication on, or before, 1st October 2025.

The PNA noted that:

Following successful appeals to NHS Resolution after initial refusals, new pharmacy applications in both Heaton and Kenton have been approved and pharmacies are due to open, helping to address gaps created by previous closures. In Cruddas Park a new pharmacy application was refused but is currently under appeal; if successful, it would re-establish provision near the Cruddas Park shopping centre in an area identified as underserved.

10 Year Health Plan for Newcastle: Fit for the Future

Kirsty Sprudd, Deputy Director of Delivery (Newcastle & Gateshead), North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), presented an overview of the government's 10-year Health Plan for England: Fit for the Future. The plan focuses on three big shifts: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.

Key objectives include same-day digital and telephone GP appointments, a GP-led Neighbourhood Health Service, integrated health and social care neighbourhood teams, and a home-first approach. The plan also aims to enhance digital access through the NHS App and a single patient record.

Outcome of Pharmacy appeals in Heaton and Kenton

Claire Toas, Public Health Portfolio Lead Epidemiology and Intelligence and Steven Llewellyn, Senior Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist, NECS, presented a report on the Outcome of Pharmacy Appeals in Heaton and Kenton. The report informed the committee of the recent outcomes of pharmacy contract appeals in Heaton and Kenton, and highlighted the role of the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment supplementary statements in influencing these decisions.

Following the closure of local pharmacy provision in Heaton and Kenton, Newcastle's Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) published supplementary statements in May 2024 identifying gaps in current pharmaceutical provision and supporting the case for new pharmacies in those areas.

The report noted that:

The determinations referenced the HWB's input and acknowledged that local closures had created barriers to access. In the Heaton case, NHS Resolution specifically noted that the HWB's supplementary statement identified a gap in provision and concluded that this was not given sufficient weight by NENC ICB.