The Health Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to discuss GP performance, public health spending, and an update on the interim health facility at Barking Riverside. They will also discuss appointments to the Outer North East London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Interim Health Facility Barking Riverside Update

The committee is scheduled to receive an update on the progress of the interim health facility at Barking Riverside. According to the report pack, Barking Riverside has planning permission for 10,000 new homes with a further application submitted for another 10,000, potentially bringing the total population up to 50,000. Currently, around 5,000 people live in the area.

The report pack states that Thames View Health Centre, located next to Barking Riverside, is the only local option for primary care. The report pack says that a new health centre is required to accommodate the growing population.

Barking Riverside Limited (BRL), a joint venture between L&Q and the Mayor of London, has offered the NHS North East London a 260m² unit on the Circus with an eight-year lease and a break at five years. BRL has approved a budget of £650,000, which has since risen to £950,000, to cover the capital expenditure. BRL has identified a further £150,000 from a placemaking budget overseen by the Barking Riverside Steering Group and has applied to the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham's Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy fund (SCIL) for £150,000. The council's cabinet is expected to formally ratify this proposal in December 2025.

The proposed layout includes five treatment/clinical rooms, office and reception space, and patient waiting rooms.

The report pack notes that the Building Safety Act 2022 applies to buildings at least 18 metres tall or with seven or more storeys containing two or more residential units. The Act requires registration with the Building Safety Regulator and an Accountable Person responsible for managing safety risks. The building was constructed by Bellway Homes, with BRL leasing back the ground floor commercial spaces. BRL has worked with a health and safety consultancy to confirm that the commercial spaces operate separately from the rest of the High Risk Building.

BRL is leading the procurement of the temporary space fit-out. The ICB expects the appointed contractor to demonstrate experience in delivering healthcare environments that meet infection control standards and technical specifications. Two procurement exercises have been undertaken, but no bids were received from healthcare specialists. The ICB and BRL are exploring whether the ICB can utilise the expertise of NHS Property Services, or the Community Health Partnership, to assist with the delivery of the scheme. BRL could commission an additional phase of design work, up to RIBA¹ 4+.

The original tender programme anticipated completion by 21 November 2025, but BRL and the ICB must re-set the procurement route and contract type. BRL estimates the fit-out construction works to take approximately three months.

The ICB will procure a provider to deliver core primary care GP services from the building, funded by the ICB. The revised outline timetable is:

The ICB is putting in place an interim solution to ensure that the building is utilised and residents have access. Contract discussions are underway with a local practice to deliver GP clinics, through a hub model, from the new site during this interim period.

A joint Task and Finish Group between the ICB and the BRL is in place, meeting fortnightly.

GP Performance and Development

The Health Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to scrutinise GP performance and development in the borough. Representatives from NHS North East London are expected to present a report on the topic.

The report pack includes data on GP appointments, GP access, the GP patient survey, the Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) immunisation, and flu vaccination rates.

According to the report pack, the proportion of same-day appointments in Barking and Dagenham has grown by 10% over the four-year period from financial year 2021/22 to 2024/25, which it says is the largest increase in NEL. In August 2025, Barking and Dagenham GP practices saw 106,373 patients, a rate of 409.8 appointments per 1,000 registered patients. In August 2019, this was 69,290 appointments, a rate of 314 appointments per 1,000. The report pack claims that GP practices are seeing more than 30% more patients per 1,000, with a significantly increased population, and roughly the same number of GPs. The NEL ICB rate for August 2025 was 367.8 appointments per 1,000. There are additional same-day appointments from hub sites commissioned across Barking & Dagenham, providing an additional 25,000 appointments over the course of a year, and the Acute Respiratory Hub (ARI) has been recommissioned this winter to support winter pressures, providing an additional 3,235 appointments.

The report pack claims that Barking and Dagenham practices ranked in the top 10th percentile of most improved practices in NEL, making it the second most improved place in NEL.

The report pack states that in Barking and Dagenham, QOF achievement for vaccinations and immunisations has more than doubled over the three-year period from financial year 2021/22 to 2023/24. 10 practices in Barking and Dagenham were among the top 26 practices with the highest flu vaccination coverage for over-65s in NEL, making it the best-performing borough for flu uptake among older adults.

The report pack claims that Barking and Dagenham leads London for data quality in GP records. In April 2025, there were 2,584 NEL GP appointments that could not be measured by NHS England, and only 11 of those were from Barking and Dagenham GP practices. It also claims that Practice and PCN Health Inequality Leads are nationally recognised for the quality of their work and interventions on behalf of the borough, and that GP Learning Disability health check numbers continue to improve with a 33% increase for 2025/26 from 2024/25.

The report pack notes that the council is working with partners to maximise the current estate and encourage practices to relocate to fit-for-purpose premises, and that there is capital investment in suitable premises to make them more fit for purpose and increase utilisation of void space in modern premises. It also claims that the council is supporting practices to expand their telephony capacity via digital telephony, providing more phone lines for better access, including a call-back function for all practices, and that an online consultation offer is now contractually mandated in core hours (8.30am - 6.30pm), requiring practices to respond to an online request on the same day.

The report pack notes that Barking and Dagenham's population has increased by 41,600 patients (16%) over the past decade, and forecasts indicate a further 25% rise in a moderate growth scenario over the 15-year period from financial year 2025/26 to 2039/2040, making it the fastest-growing borough in NEL.

Financial Review of Public Health Spending

The committee is scheduled to discuss a financial review of Public Health spends in 2022/23 and 2023/24 for the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham. The report pack states that the purpose of the discussion is to:

Implementing the learning from the financial review on Public Health Grant spend covering the periods 2022/23 and 2023/24 for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and actions being taken to strengthen financial management and oversight arrangements of the Public Health Grant going forward to prevent any future irregularities arising.

The report pack notes that the Public Health Grant (PH Grant) is a central government ring-fenced funding provided to local authorities to improve health in local populations following the transfer of Public Health responsibilities from the NHS to councils in April 2013 through the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

In 2024, the council commissioned a comprehensive Independent Public Health Spending review alongside the Local Government Association's Public Health review. Both reports referenced potential non-compliance of expenditure with the PH Grant eligibility criteria and transparency around the use of allocations.

The report pack states that initial evidence suggested some of the approved PH Grant allocations had been used for purposes other than those for which it was provided, which may have led to the council submitting inaccurate reports of full spend against the Public Health sub-categories in the Revenue Outturn (RO) returns to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The Head of Legal & Monitoring Officer, Strategic Director of Resources (Section 151 Officer)² and Director of Public Health instigated a forensic review of previous RO returns and the use of the PH Grant for fiscal years 2022/23 and 2023/24 respectively.

The review concluded that a possible £1.803m is due to be repaid to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), of which £1.238m relates to 2022/23 and £0.565m relates to 2023/24. In 2022/23, £0.675m was inappropriately allocated to support General Fund savings, and the difference relates to underspends not reported against programme budgets. It is proposed that this amount be repaid in 2025/26 as part of an agreed payment plan.

The report pack states that the council has taken measures to strengthen its internal governance and financial management controls, including establishing the Public Health Grant Executive Assurance & Oversight Board, chaired by the Strategic Director Children and Adults. The membership includes the Strategic Director Resources (S151 Officer), the Director of Public Health, Directors who receive Public Health Grant funding, the Corporate Audit & Risk Management Lead, the PH Business & Finance Partner and Head of Finance, and Consultants in Public Health.

The purpose of the Board is to:

• Provide oversight and assurance for Public Health Grant funding that is invested in wider council services;
• Ensure effective governance and oversight of the allocation, use, and impact of the Public Health Grant invested in wider council services to strengthen reporting to central government; and
• Provide assurance the grant is being managed appropriately, delivering value for money, and meeting both public health objectives and council priorities to deliver the best outcomes for residents.

The Board will meet three times a fiscal year (around July, October, and January).

The report pack states that budgetary responsibilities have been reviewed to ensure effective accountability and grip on public health finances, and that officers continue to work collaboratively across the Council to ensure all expenditure in year complies with the PH Grant eligibility criteria.

The report pack also outlines internal controls and monitoring measures, including monthly monitoring meetings between Finance and Public health leads, quarterly reviews of spend against allocated budgets, and quarterly Public Health Programmes Board meetings.

As part of the Budget process for 2025/26, public health programme budgets have been agreed by the Director of Public Health, and Directorate leads have been notified of each allocation and conditions of the grant. A memorandum of understanding has been prepared and signed by Directorate leads, and there is a requirement for Directorate leads to complete an annual declaration at the end of each fiscal year that Public Health monies have been spent for the purpose given.

From April 2026, a consolidated PH Grant will bring together funding from the Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Improvement Grant; Individual Placement and Support grant; Local Stop Smoking Services and Support Grant; and the Swap to Stop scheme (swapping cigarettes for vapes), into one overall ringfenced PH Grant.

The DHSC Regional Public Health teams will undertake a deep dive into the data submitted under the Miscellaneous Spend category of the PH Grant RO return for 2024-25.

Appointments to the Outer North East London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

The Health Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to confirm the appointment of one further HSC member to the Outer North East London (ONEL) Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) for the 2025/26 municipal year.

The ONEL JHOSC is made up of representatives from the London Boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest. Essex County Council may nominate one full Member for the JHOSC. Thurrock Borough Council's Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee may nominate an observing Member to the JHSOC. The councils of the Borough of Brentwood and District of Epping Forest may also each nominate an observing Member.

The ONEL JHOSC was established by the Health Overview and Scrutiny committees of the above boroughs, exercising their powers under section 7 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and the Local Authority (Overview and Scrutiny Committees Health Scrutiny Functions) Regulations 2002.

There are typically four JHOSC meetings a year, with the boroughs taking turns to host the meetings. The chair of the Health Scrutiny Committee from the hosting Borough would chair the JHOSC meeting.

The first JHOSC meeting of 2025/26 was held on Tuesday 8th July 2025. The remaining JHOSC meetings for the year will take place on:

• Thursday 23 October 2025
• Tuesday 20 January 2026; and
• Thursday 16 April 2026.

The report pack notes that Councillor Michel Pongo, Chair of the HSC, and Councillor Donna Lumsden, Deputy Chair of the HSC, are usually appointed to the JHOSC as a matter of standard practice.

Work Programme

The committee is scheduled to review its work programme for 2025/26. According to the report pack, the committee is scheduled to discuss the roll out of weight loss jabs, the early impact of healthy weight commissioning, and sexual health clinics at its meeting on Wednesday, 4 February 2026.