The Outer NEL Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, to discuss a range of health-related matters impacting residents across Outer North East London. The meeting's agenda included a comprehensive health update covering various NHS providers, a deep dive into improving GP access, and a review of the system strategy for North East London.

Health Update

The committee was scheduled to receive a broad health update from various NHS providers. This included information on organisational changes within NHS North East London (NEL), such as the appointment of Dr Nnenna Osuji as its new Chief Executive. The update was also set to cover the ongoing management of winter pressures, detailing coordinated system responses, strengthened community care, and efforts to address mental health and crisis response demands. The impact of industrial action by resident doctors was also to be discussed.

Significant achievements were to be highlighted, including awards received by teams in North East London and the launch of the North East London Population Health Management Platform, Optum Pathfinder. The committee was also to be updated on the financial position of the NEL Integrated Care System (ICS), including the reported deficit and efficiency targets.

Updates were expected from specific providers:

• Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust (BHRUT): Information was scheduled regarding maternity services, which had been rated 'Good' by the Care Quality Commission, and the launch of their Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system. The update was also to cover urgent and emergency care, efforts to reduce waiting lists, cancer treatment performance, and the Trust's financial position.
• Barts Health NHS Trust: Operational developments were to be presented, including improvements at Whipps Cross Hospital, plans for a dedicated breast cancer centre at St Bartholomew's Hospital, and the launch of the Barts Life Sciences Cluster. The Trust's finance and planning, including cost improvement measures and medium-term planning submissions, were also on the agenda. Personnel updates, including staff movements and achievements, were also to be shared.
• North East London Collaborative: Updates were scheduled for the Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Collaborative, focusing on intensive and assertive community mental health care and planning for 2025-26. The Community Healthcare Collaborative was also to provide an update on its aims to improve community health services. Partnership working between BHRUT and NELFT on children's nursing teams and stroke pathways was also to be discussed.
• Richard House Children's Hospice: The committee was to receive an update on the closure of Richard House Children's Hospice and the transitional arrangements being put in place with Haven House Children's Hospice to support affected families.

System Strategy and Medium Term Planning Process

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing the refresh of the system strategy for North East London for the 2026-2031 planning period. This included an overview of the new medium-term planning process for NHS systems, aligning with the NHS 10-year health plan and its three key shifts: hospital to community, sickness to prevention, and analogue to digital. The refreshed System Strategy, approved by the Integrated Care Partnership, was to be presented, outlining the NEL Outcomes and Equity Framework and the scope of the system strategy. The importance of maintaining a strong system partnership across North East London was to be emphasised, detailing how the system strategy fits within the wider planning framework and the approach from April 2026, including the strategic commissioning cycle.

Deep Dive - Improving GP Access

The committee was scheduled to undertake a deep dive into improving GP access. This segment of the meeting was to focus on the transformation of primary care access at Maylands GP Surgery, including improvements to their phone system and the implementation of an AI-based tool for appointment booking. The report was expected to detail the impact of these changes on customer satisfaction and patient safety.