The Adults and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee met on Tuesday 02 June 2026 to review the Quality Accounts of three healthcare providers: North London Hospice, Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust, and Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. The committee also received an update from Barnet Public Health, discussed the NCL Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, reviewed the work programme, and considered the Cabinet Forward Plan.

Quality Accounts 2025-26

The committee received detailed quality accounts from North London Hospice, Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (CLCH), and Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

North London Hospice presented its Quality Account for 2025-26, highlighting a year of sustained delivery of palliative and end-of-life care despite challenges in the healthcare network and the charitable sector. Key initiatives included the launch of a care coordination service, a palliative advice line, and the development of their inpatient unit as part of a Building for Tomorrow redevelopment project. The hospice reported positive patient and CQC reviews, though acknowledged ongoing work in areas such as medicine safety, where incidents had increased, attributed to a higher reporting culture. Discussions also touched upon the piloting of ambient voice technology and the transition to digital records.

Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (CLCH) presented its Quality Account, detailing strong performance across its five quality campaigns: positive patient experience, preventing harm, smart effective care, modelling the way, and population health and inequalities. CLCH reported exceeding targets for patient experience, with 99.4% of patients feeling treated with respect and dignity. They also achieved their target of zero avoidable catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) in bedded units. A new campaign focused on population health and inequalities was launched, with efforts to analyse data by postcode and deprivation to address disparities in appointment attendance. Challenges were noted in the 'safe' domain for community health services for children, young people, and families, following a CQC inspection in February 2024, with significant work underway to address these. The trust also highlighted efforts to improve staff career progression opportunities and retention, with a 9% turnover rate.

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust presented its Quality Account for 2025-26, its first full year as a merged entity with North Middlesex University Hospital. Dr. Julian Smith, Chief Medical Officer, highlighted significant improvements in cancer waiting times, with the trust achieving the 62-day standard for the first time in years. They also reduced long waits for elective care and improved A&E performance. Patient experience saw improvements, though areas like food and communication require further attention. The trust has fully embedded the National Patient Safety Incident Response Framework and introduced Martha's Rule pilots. Concerns were raised about health inequalities, which remain stark despite improvements, and the trust's ongoing work to integrate digital patient records across its sites. Maternity services were noted to require improvement in the 'safe' domain following a CQC inspection, with actions implemented to address findings. The trust also reported progress in reducing referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times, though hundreds of patients still waited over two months for urgent suspected cancer referrals.

Update from Barnet Public Health

Dr. Janet Djomba, Director of Public Health, presented the Barnet Public Health Department's End of Year Report for 2025/26. The department, funded primarily by the ringfenced Public Health Grant, delivers mandated services including sexual health, health protection, NHS Health Checks, and child measurement programmes. Despite financial pressures and Barnet having one of the lowest per capita public health grants in London, the department achieved significant outcomes. Highlights included improved uptake of the HPV vaccine, a return to pre-pandemic levels for NHS Health Checks, and exceeding targets for stop-smoking services. Community engagement and a focus on inequalities were strengthened, with work on suicide prevention and gambling harm reduction noted as leading areas in North Central London. The department is participating in an HSE peer review to highlight funding concerns.

Councillor Alison Cornelius raised concerns about the allocation of the Inequalities Fund, arguing that Islington, despite overall improvements, has high rates of child deprivation and may be disadvantaged by the new allocation method. Councillor James Esses inquired about the impact of deprivation on pockets within more affluent boroughs like Barnet, and Councillor Richard Barnes questioned the low percentage of funding allocated to staffing. Councillor Hersey, a psychotherapist, expressed concerns about the potential for pathologising youth mental health and the impact of over-analysis. The committee also discussed the issue of people sleeping in tents across the borough, with councillors highlighting the dual challenges of homelessness and mental health, and the need for multi-agency collaboration. Dawn Wakeling, Executive Director, Communities, Adults and Health, agreed to take these concerns away for further investigation and report back.

NCL Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) Update

The committee received an update on the NCL JHOSC, including discussions on the Integrated Care Board (ICB) reconfiguration and mental health services. Concerns were raised about the potential for a lack of dedicated support for the JHOSC following the Haringey officer's departure, and the committee expressed disappointment that a commitment to contribute to a permanent support officer post had not been agreed by all boroughs. A formal letter to Chief Executives was recommended. The committee also discussed the use of Palantir Technologies in the NHS, with deputations from Islington Keep Our NHS Public (IKONP) raising concerns about data quality, vendor lock-in, ethics, and patient data usage. The committee requested an update on why some hospitals are reluctant to sign up with Palantir and for clear evidence regarding their concerns.

Task and Finish Groups Update

An update was provided on the Primary Care (GP) Access and Discharge to Assess Task and Finish Groups. The committee noted that the ICB was unable to attend to provide their response to recommendations due to ongoing organisational restructuring, and a written response has been requested.

Work Programme

The committee reviewed and noted the proposed Work Programme for the Adults & Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee for 2026-27.

Cabinet Forward Plan

The committee reviewed the Cabinet Forward Plan for 2026-27, noting upcoming key decisions. The committee was invited to request any items for pre-decision scrutiny.

The meeting concluded with the committee agreeing to note the reports and updates presented, with several actions assigned for further information and follow-up.