The Inner North East London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, to discuss a range of health-related matters. Key topics included an update on the closure of Richard House Children's Hospice, a comprehensive health update from NHS North East London, and a review of the financial position of the Integrated Care System (ICS). The committee also considered a scrutiny report, which included a forward plan for future discussions.

Closure of Richard House Children's Hospice

The committee was scheduled to receive information regarding the closure of Richard House Children's Hospice, which had entered administration on 18 December 2025. The report detailed the transition arrangements being put in place by NHS North East London (NEL ICB) to support the children and families previously cared for by the hospice. Haven House Children's Hospice was asked to provide immediate support, including 24/7 end-of-life nursing care, respite and crisis care, counselling, and sibling support. The report also noted that a group of parents was keen to reinstate the hospice's services, but acknowledged the difficulties presented by the administration process. The NEL ICB's priority was to ensure a safe transfer of families and to work towards a sustainable model for children's hospice provision in north east London, with new commissioning arrangements planned from April 2027.

Health Update

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to a health update from NHS North East London, presented by Ralph Coulbeck, Interim Chief Executive. The update covered organisational changes within the ICB, including the appointment of Dr Nnenna Osuji as the new Chief Executive. It detailed the proposed new operating model for the ICB, developed in response to government requests to reduce running costs, with a formal staff consultation underway. The report also outlined plans for managing winter pressures through a coordinated system response, strengthened community care, and enhanced mental health and crisis response services. Achievements were highlighted, including awards received by north east London teams and the launch of the North East London Population Health Management Platform.

The update also included reports from the North East London Collaborative, with Lorraine Sunduza, Chief Executive Officer of East London Foundation Trust (ELFT), providing an overview of the Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Collaborative. This collaborative aims to improve outcomes, quality, value, and equity for individuals with mental health problems, learning disabilities, and autism. A deep dive into intensive and assertive community mental health care was planned, alongside updates on the 2025-26 planning for mental health, learning disabilities, and autism services. Partnership working between Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust (BHRUT) and NELFT on community children's nursing and stroke pathways was also mentioned.

Ann Hepworth, Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Barts Health NHS Trust, provided an update on operational developments, including improvements at Whipps Cross Hospital and plans for a dedicated breast cancer centre at St Bartholomew's Hospital. The launch of the Barts Life Sciences Cluster, backed by significant investment, and the rollout of new digital systems were also noted. The report detailed financial and planning efforts, including cost improvement targets and the development of medium-term plans aligned with the NHS 10-year plan.

Finance Overview

The committee received a finance overview from Henry Black, Chief Finance Officer of NEL ICB. The report detailed the ICS's financial position at Month 7 (October 2025-26), indicating a planned breakeven position at year-end which had deviated significantly. The actual year-to-date deficit was £69.8 million, an adverse variance of £41.8 million to the plan, primarily driven by provider deficits. The report highlighted pressures related to efficiency slippage and run rate pressures across pay and non-pay areas. The potential loss of deficit support funding from NHS England was also a concern, increasing the likelihood of not delivering the annual plan unless recovery opportunities were identified.

Scrutiny Report

The committee was asked to consider a scrutiny report from the Town Clerk. This report included the Forward Plan for the 2025-26 cycle, and members were invited to make suggestions for future items to be considered. The report indicated no significant strategic, financial, resource, legal, risk, or equalities implications. The conclusion of the report invited members to suggest items for the Forward Plan. The appendices included the Forward Plan itself, detailing items scheduled for previous and upcoming meetings, and a list of suggested items from committee members for future consideration, such as the transfer of services to ICBs, improving outcomes for specific demographic groups, and updates on various health programmes.