The Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) met on Wednesday, 11 February 2026, to review the annual performance of Public Health in Worcestershire and receive an update from West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS). The committee also discussed its work programme for the coming year.

Annual Review of Public Health

The committee received a comprehensive update on the work of Public Health and its partners in Worcestershire, highlighting progress made over the past 12 months and outlining future priorities. Professor Lisa McNally, Director of Public Health, and Councillor Satinder Bell, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Health and Wellbeing, were present to answer questions.

The report detailed significant achievements across various areas:

• Family and Child Health: Worcestershire has seen a year-on-year drop in low birth weights to 2.1%, placing it in the top 10% of local authorities in England. Smoking rates during pregnancy have also fallen significantly, from 8.3% to 6.3%, leading to a nomination for a national Local Government Chronicle Public Health Award. Health visitor performance metrics remain above national averages, with 89.6% of New Birth Visits completed within 14 days. The Family Hubs programme has seen increased attendance, with 23,800 countywide attendances between April and September 2025. The School Grants Programme awarded over 200 grants to educational settings, an 82% increase, supporting physical activity and mental health initiatives. Physical activity rates among children aged 5-16 have shown growth in Bromsgrove, Malvern Hills, Wychavon, and Wyre Forest, though a decline was noted in Redditch, prompting significant investment in community-led work.
• Adult Health Improvement: Preventable mortality rates have seen an annual reduction of over 7% in Worcestershire, more than double the regional reduction and nearly double the national reduction. The Healthy Worcestershire programme has engaged over 1,000 residents, with outcome data showing improvements in physical activity, mental wellbeing, and social contact. The Work Well Live Better programme has attracted 235 businesses since its 2023 launch, offering resources and support for employee wellbeing. Smoking prevalence in adults has fallen to 7.5%, one of the lowest rates in England, representing a 33% relative reduction over two years.
• Health Protection: Worcestershire has one of the highest rates of MMR uptake in the West Midlands, with first-dose coverage meeting the World Health Organization's recommended level of 95%. However, second-dose uptake stands at 90.6%, prompting planned pop-up clinics from January to March 2026 to increase coverage. The Clean Hands, Safe Hands campaign has engaged over 1,000 individuals in schools to promote hygiene. Targeted support has been provided to prisons within the county for infection prevention and control. A circuit breaker initiative has been implemented to address rising rates of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and Syphilis.
• Mental Health and Wellbeing: The Orange Button Suicide Prevention Programme has seen over 700 wearers and 250 organisations involved, with 53% of wearers being approached due to their button and 42% signposting someone to help. The suicide rate in Worcestershire has returned to being similar to the national average, with rates reducing across all districts.
• Emergency Planning: The Emergency Planning & Business Continuity (EP/BC) team strengthened the council's readiness through exercises and policy refreshes, including participation in national pandemic exercises. The team maintained 24/7 duty cover and coordinated responses to incidents such as Storm Darragh.
• Data and Intelligence: Advanced statistical methods have been used to identify health outcome variations and unmet needs in priority neighbourhoods. The Neighbourhood Health Development Framework contract promotes a data-driven approach to prevention and addresses health inequalities at the neighbourhood level. A neighbourhood profile request service has been introduced, providing tailored local health profiles and dashboards.
• Community Development: The Public Health Community Wellbeing Grant Programme made 447 awards, an increase from 199 the previous year, injecting over £1.1 million into local communities. The programme has supported diverse initiatives, including walking groups, SEND stay-and-play sessions, and youth art workshops. This programme won the national LGC Public Health Award in 2025.

Financially, Public Health has moved from a forecasted overspend in 2022 to remaining within its £33m budget, while also contributing approximately £9m annually to other council departments. This turnaround has been achieved through attracting external income, integrating services, and prioritising cost-effective, community-led programmes.

The committee was asked to consider and comment on the information provided and determine if further scrutiny was required.

Overview from West Midlands Ambulance Service

The committee received an update from Vivek Khashu, Director of Strategy and Engagement at West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust (WMAS), regarding ambulance services in Worcestershire.

WMAS reported that while they had sustained Category 2 response time standards for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years, performance had recently deteriorated due to increased hospital handover delays. Despite deploying additional frontline resources across the region, the rise in handover delays has impacted response times. The report highlighted that hospital handover delays are worse than the previous year, with thousands of additional hours lost each month.

The committee was informed that the issue is not solely ambulance activity, but rather the increasing demand on hospitals and the subsequent delays in patient bed availability. WMAS has implemented measures such as a call before you convey process and enhanced video conferencing capabilities for their clinical validation team to find alternative pathways for patients. Specific focus has also been placed on nursing homes due to high conveyance rates and potential for handover delays.

A Preventing Future Deaths report from the Worcestershire Coroner in October 2024 cited ambulance handover delays as a factor in the death of a Worcestershire resident due to a delayed ambulance response for chest pain. WMAS continues to meet its CQC regulation 12 notice requirement for Category 2 response times.

The committee was asked to consider and comment on the information provided by WMAS and determine if further scrutiny was required.

Work Programme

The committee reviewed its rolling Annual Scrutiny Work Programme for 2025/26. The programme includes ongoing scrutiny of local NHS bodies and health services, including public health and children's health. Key upcoming items for scrutiny include access to GP appointments, dental services, maternity and newborn services, and the cancer pathway. The committee was asked to consider any amendments to the work programme and retain flexibility to address urgent issues.

The committee noted the dates of future meetings scheduled for March, April, June, July, September, October, and November 2026.