The Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire met on Wednesday, 25 February 2026, to discuss emergency preparedness, the progress of public health recommendations, and the link between employment and health. The committee thanked presenters for their insights. Further reports were requested on emergency preparedness and the Director of Public Health's recommendations. The committee agreed to review the quality accounts of five NHS providers.

Lincolnshire Health Emergency Preparedness

The committee received an update on Lincolnshire's emergency preparedness, resilience, and response (EPRR) for NHS organisations. The report indicated substantial compliance with NHS Core Standards for EPRR, with improvements noted in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) and hazardous materials readiness, as well as infectious disease preparedness. Despite challenges such as industrial action and multi-agency incidents, the Lincolnshire NHS system demonstrated good overall readiness. The committee was informed about Exercise Pegasus, a national pandemic preparedness exercise, and the top three risks on the Lincolnshire Health Resilience Partnership (LHRP) risk register: pandemics, cyber incidents, and malicious attacks. The committee thanked the presenters and requested a joint report from the Lincolnshire Health Resilience Partnership and the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum within six to twelve months.

Director of Public Health 2024 Annual Report - Update on Recommendations

Derek Ward, Director of Public Health, presented an update on the progress made against the recommendations in his 2024 annual report. The report highlighted significant progress driven by three interconnected pillars: Community Primary Partnerships (CPPs), the Neighbourhood Health Work Programme, and the system-wide expansion of Technology Enabled Care (TEC). CPPs have laid the groundwork for integrated, community-led care, with learning now being scaled through Neighbourhood Health Plans. The TEC-first approach is enhancing prevention and independence through digital and assistive technologies. The committee noted the progress made, particularly in building community primary partnerships, and committed to continuing to scrutinise the issues raised.

Director of Public Health 2025 Annual Report - The Public Health Case for Quality Employment

Derek Ward also presented the 2025 Director of Public Health Annual Report, which argued for quality employment as a public health intervention. The report detailed the significant economic and health costs of worklessness in Lincolnshire, estimated at £1.8 billion annually, and highlighted the potential benefits of supporting people into quality employment. Key recommendations included expanding supported employment schemes, removing wider barriers to work, providing effective health services, encouraging employers to plan for workforce health, and raising awareness of the benefits of good work. The committee thanked Derek Ward for his thorough presentation and requested an update on the report's recommendations in twelve months.

Arrangements for the Quality Accounts 2025/2026

Kiara Chatziioannou, Health Scrutiny Officer, outlined the proposed approach to reviewing NHS providers' draft Quality Accounts for 2025/26. The committee was asked to determine which local providers' Quality Accounts they wished to comment on and to agree on the arrangements for drafting these statements. Following a discussion about the workload involved, volunteers came forward to form a subcommittee to review the draft Quality Accounts for Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, East Midlands Ambulance Service, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust, and United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The committee agreed to review all five providers.

Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire - Work Programme

Kiara Chatziioannou presented the committee's work programme, noting that it is a living document that can be shaped by members' requests. Several items were added to the work programme based on discussions during the meeting, including urgent care centres in Lincolnshire, the mental health research project, the role of local medical committees in relation to neighbourhood plans, and an overview of arrangements for the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum. The committee also agreed to consider each pillar of the NHS 10-year plan (digital, neighbourhood, and prevention) separately to ensure focused debate. The work programme was noted.