The Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee meeting, held on 12 March 2026, focused on updates from Whittington Hospital and University College London Hospitals (UCLH), alongside a review of draft recommendations for a scrutiny initiative and the Quarter 2 Public Health performance report. Key discussions included concerns about the proposed involvement of Palantir in NHS data systems, the performance of local hospitals, and strategies to address public health challenges.

Concerns Regarding Palantir and NHS Data Platform

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing the proposed involvement of Palantir in running the NHS federated data platform. Councillor Joseph Croft, Chair of the Health, Wellbeing & Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee and Mental Health Champion, outlined his concerns, which were also published in the Islington Tribune. These concerns centred on the potential for privatisation of NHS data systems, the ethical implications of the chosen contractor, and the need for robust safeguards and transparency to protect patient data. Shirley Franklin, a convener of the Defend the Whittington Hospital Coalition, voiced the coalition's opposition, questioning why Whittington Hospital was proceeding with training staff on Palantir systems despite stated opposition. She urged the council to investigate its powers to instruct the trust. Councillor Mick Gilgunn also expressed strong opposition, referencing a legal challenge to the contract by the Good Law Project and highlighting the redaction of significant portions of the contract documents. The committee reiterated its commitment to keeping the NHS public and free at the point of use, with Councillor Asima Shaikh noting the council's strong record on ethical procurement and responsible investment, including recent consultations on divesting pension fund investments linked to companies involved in conflict or human rights issues.

Whittington Hospital Performance Update

Sarah Wilds, Chief Nurse at Whittington Health, and Nicky Sands, Deputy Chief Nurse, presented an update on the hospital's performance. They acknowledged the challenges highlighted in a recent CQC inspection report, particularly concerning mental health services and the hospital's aging infrastructure, which was built in the 1970s. The report noted that staff were working in extremely difficult circumstances. Improvements have been agreed for the paediatric department, with permanent recruitment to additional required staff. The hospital's staff survey results have shown improvement, with Whittington Health being recognised as the most improved across the integrated care system. The report also detailed ongoing work in the Emergency Department (ED), including strong leadership and well-being events. The hospital is committed to improving its freedom to speak up processes, as acknowledged by the CQC. Regarding patient experience, the CQC National Inpatient Survey 2024 indicated strengths in areas such as clear information about medicines, well-explained ward moves, and good ward environment management. The hospital has seen a 40% increase in volunteering. The Quality Account for 2024-2025 prioritised ensuring safe and effective care, improving the trust environment, reducing health inequalities, and developing services to meet population needs. Goals for 2025/2026 include enhancing patient communication, improving FFT scores, and developing a more integrated approach to care.

UCLH Annual Performance Update

The committee received an update on the performance of University College London Hospitals (UCLH). The report highlighted maintained low numbers of Clostridium difficile infections, though there has been a slight increase in recent years, partly due to community-onset cases. The Summary Hospital-Level Mortality Indicator (SHMI) score has continued to improve. The inpatient survey results showed UCLH ranking highly in overall patient experience, performing better than other trusts on specific questions. Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times have seen improvement, with a significant decrease in patients waiting 65 weeks or longer. However, the 18-week RTT performance has remained relatively static, though the percentage of patients with a first outpatient attendance before 18 weeks has improved. Diagnostics performance has worsened due to an increased waiting list, primarily driven by equipment shortfalls for MRI scanners. Cancer performance for the faster diagnosis standard (FDS) has largely been compliant, though the 62-day GP backlog is above target. A&E performance has reduced, falling below the national target, with increased demand and a rise in patients spending longer than 12 hours in the department. Patient flow has seen steady improvement in discharges by 5 pm, but the proportion of beds occupied by patients who no longer meet the criteria to reside has worsened. The staff survey indicated that UCLH remains the top trust in England for staff recommending their organisation as a place to work for the third consecutive year. Vacancy rates had decreased before increasing, and sickness absence rates have remained relatively static. UCLH is in the top segment for the national oversight framework, ranking 13th out of 134 trusts.

Scrutiny Review – Draft Recommendations

The committee reviewed draft recommendations from a scrutiny review. Recommendation one focuses on tackling inequalities in life expectancy by reducing premature mortality from preventable causes. Recommendation two addresses data insight and targeting, aiming for better intervention targeting in communities with the highest unmet health needs. Other recommendations cover areas such as avoidable hospital admissions for long-term conditions, the health in all policies approach, tobacco smoking and vaping, and insights and engagement related to drug and alcohol education. Councillor Janet Burgess MBE highlighted the importance of recommendation nine, which mentions working closely with Healthwatch, and noted the significant role Healthwatch Islington has played. She also suggested that if recommendations are relevant to children's health, they should be directed to the children's scrutiny committee.

Quarter 2 Performance Report – Public Health

The Quarter 2 performance report for Public Health indicated positive performance across all 11 indicators, with targets being met or exceeded. Uptake of Healthy Start Vouchers was strong, with 1,809 families participating. NHS Health Checks are on track to meet the annual target, as is the provision of Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) through sexual health services. Health Visiting coverage for New Birth Visits is within 5% of the local target, and 6-8-week Health Visitor reviews are meeting their target. While increasing childhood immunisation uptake remains a challenge, MMR2 performance is consistent and within the target threshold. The number of people accessing stop smoking support is on course to meet the annual target, with a successful quit rate exceeding the target. Drug and alcohol treatment services are seeing more people accessing support, and the rate of unplanned exits from treatment has improved. The report also detailed work on addressing health inequalities, including targeted outreach for vaccinations, support for families through the Healthy Start scheme, and a focus on reducing smoking prevalence. Challenges include vaccine hesitancy and misinformation, and changes to the vaccination schedule. The report highlighted the importance of the Smokefree Generation policy and upcoming legislative changes. NHS Health Checks are performing well, exceeding London and England averages, with specific efforts to reach individuals with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) and Learning Disabilities (LD). Substance use services are stable, with improvements in reducing unplanned treatment exits. LARC prescriptions are on track to meet targets, and Health Visiting services are performing well, with ongoing efforts to improve timely reviews and accurate recording.

The meeting also included public questions from Shirley Franklin and Martin Franklin, who raised concerns about the use of Palantir by Whittington NHS Trust, the state of social care, and the cost of care. Rona Topaz questioned why Islington could not follow Hammersmith and Fulham Council's example of providing free social care. Councillor Joseph Croft assured them that their concerns would be taken away and investigated.