The Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) will meet on Tuesday, 9 December 2025, at Hounslow House to discuss urgent and emergency care, primary care access, continuing healthcare criteria, and special educational needs (SEN) continence services. Councillor Ketan Sheth, Chair of the committee, will lead the meeting. The committee will also review the North West London JHOSC's recommendations tracker and work programme.

Urgent and Emergency Care Delivery

The committee will be presented with an update on urgent and emergency care across North West London. The report pack highlights that North West London has been working to strengthen urgent and emergency care, with closer integration between acute, community, mental health, London Ambulance Service (LAS), primary care and local authority services.

Key achievements that the report pack will reference include:

• The launch of the Integrated Care Coordination Hub (ICC).
• Record levels of Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC).
• Strengthened community and mental health alternatives.
• Improved handover, response and ED performance.
• Evidence-based impact for high need and underserved groups.
• Digital front door and Optica roll out.
• Discharge performance and flow improvements.

The report pack notes that challenges remain, particularly around rising demand, mental health waits and community workforce fragility. The winter plans have been stress tested across multiple demand and capacity scenarios.

The report pack states that the next phase of work will focus on embedding the ICC, strengthening neighbourhood-based urgent care pathways, standardising virtual ward models and maturing digital tools.

Implementation of the Same Day Access Model in Primary Care

The committee will be presented with a report about the implementation of the Same Day Access Model in Primary Care. The report pack states that improving access to primary care remains a top priority, with the aim of embedding modern general practice principles and reducing system pressure.

The report pack notes that from 1 October 2025, online consultations must be available throughout core hours. The North West London Integrated Care Board (NWL ICB) has submitted its GP Contract Compliance return to NHS England.

The report pack states that the NWL ICB is working to improve access to general practice, and that feedback from residents has shaped 23 Primary Care Network (PCN)-led local transformation proposals.

The report pack states that PCNs have developed access improvement plans against agreed targets and metrics. Performance metrics across NWL will be presented to the committee.

The report pack states that in line with the NHS 10 Year Plan¹ and the NWL Primary Care Strategy and Urgent and Emergency Care Strategy, the aim is for general practice to manage primary care presentations, enabling urgent and emergency care services to focus on higher-acuity patients.

Application of the Continuing Health Care Criteria

The committee will receive a report about All Age Continuing Healthcare (AACC) in North West London. The report pack states that the NWL ICB manages several services under AACC, with an active caseload at any time of around 4,400 individuals. Services include Standard Adult Continuing Health Care (CHC), Fast Track CHC, Funded Nursing Care (FNC), and Children's Continuing Care (CCC). The report pack focuses on adult CHC and FNC provision.

The report pack notes that the NWL ICB funds more CHC eligible individuals than any other ICB in London. The number of referrals and patients funded have exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

The report pack states that conversion rates for adult CHC funded care remain above the London average across North West London, with some borough variations. The number of individuals with learning disabilities and/or autism eligible for CHC funded care has increased significantly over the past couple of years.

SEN Continence Service

The committee will receive a report about the SEN Continence Service. The report pack states that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) often face complex health and care challenges, including continence issues. The report pack notes that there is notable variation in how these services are commissioned, delivered and accessed across North West London.

The report pack states that effective continence services can improve quality of life and independence, reduce avoidable hospital admissions and safeguarding risks, support school attendance and inclusion, and alleviate pressure on families and carers.

The report pack references the Education & Resources for Improving Childhood Continence (ERIC) Children's Continence Pathway, which describes the model for children's continence services.

The report pack includes comments from Parent-Carer Forums, which show the need to reduce unwarranted variation in services.

The report pack notes that to reduce the current unwarranted variability of level 2 services, NWL ICB is working to codesign and implement a common offer for bladder and bowel services for children and adults in every borough in north west London.

North West London JHOSC Recommendations Tracker and Work Programme

The committee will review the North West London JHOSC's recommendations tracker. The tracker provides a summary of scrutiny recommendations made during the previous two and current municipal years.

The committee will also review its work programme for the 2025/26 municipal year.