The Inner North East London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on 14 January 2026 to discuss the closure of Richard House Children's Hospice, receive health and finance updates, and review a scrutiny report. The meeting also covered broader health system strategies and provider updates.

Richard House Children's Hospice

A report was scheduled to provide an update on the position and transitional arrangements concerning Richard House Children's Hospice. The Trustees of the hospice made the decision to close and enter administration on 7 December 2025. The Integrated Care Board (ICB) has been working with Haven House Children's Hospice to support families previously under Richard House's care. This transition plan includes continued 24/7 end-of-life nursing care, on-site respite, counselling, and emotional support. Hospice at Home services are planned to be provided from 1 April 2026. The report was expected to address the ongoing administration process and efforts to establish a sustainable model for children's hospice provision in north east London.

Health Update

The committee was scheduled to receive a comprehensive health update from the Chief Executive of NHS North East London (NEL). This update was expected to cover provider updates, organisational change within the ICB, the NHS 10-Year Plan, and priorities for managing winter pressures. Key areas of discussion were anticipated to include the appointment of Dr Nnenna Osuji as the new Chief Executive of NHS NEL, and the ongoing staff consultation regarding proposed organisational structures aimed at reducing ICB running costs. The update was also to cover the coordinated system response to winter pressures, strengthened community care initiatives, and the impact of industrial action. Achievements in personalised care, GP awards, and the launch of the North East London Population Health Management Platform were also to be highlighted.

Updates from the North East London Collaborative were also on the agenda, focusing on the Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Collaborative and the Community Healthcare Collaborative. Discussions were expected to cover intensive and assertive community mental health care, planning for mental health services in 2025-26, and partnership working between Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust (BHRUT) and North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT). Provider updates from Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Barts Health NHS Trust were also scheduled, detailing operational developments, finance and planning, people initiatives, and research and innovation.

A significant portion of the health update was dedicated to the System Strategy and the Medium Term Planning Process, outlining the refresh of planning outputs for the 2026-2031 period. This included the new NHS Planning Framework, the phased approach to medium-term plans, and the ICB's role in strategic planning. The NEL Outcomes and Equity Framework, designed to deliver equitable health outcomes, was also to be discussed, along with the three key shifts in the NHS 10-Year Plan: hospital to community, sickness to prevention, and analogue to digital. The strategy emphasised the importance of strong system partnerships, co-production, and the development of local neighbourhood teams.

Finance Overview

A finance overview was scheduled to be presented by the Chief Finance Officer, Henry Black. This report was expected to detail the Integrated Care System's (ICS) financial position at Month 7 (October 2025/26), highlighting a planned system deficit of £28 million and an actual year-to-date deficit of £69.8 million, representing an adverse variance of £41.8 million. The report was also to cover NEL ICS efficiencies, with a projected under-delivery of £22.5 million by year-end. Key financial pressures, including efficiency slippage and run rate pressures across providers and the ICB, were to be discussed. The implications of not receiving deficit support funding from NHS England were also to be addressed, alongside the outline of a financial recovery plan.

Scrutiny Report

A scrutiny report from the Town Clerk was scheduled for decision. This report was expected to provide an overview of the committee's Forward Plan for the 2025-26 cycle, inviting members to make suggestions for future items to be considered. The report indicated that this was the second meeting of the municipal year.

Public Participation

The agenda allowed for public participation, where members of the public could speak for up to three minutes on topics related to the Committee's work.

Other Business

The agenda also included standard items such as apologies for absence and declarations of interest, as well as the agreement of the minutes from the previous meeting held on 15 October 2025. Any other urgent business that the Chairman considered necessary was also to be addressed.