The Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee of Islington Council met on 20 April 2026 to discuss the Scrutiny Review Final Report on Improving Healthy Life Expectancy in Islington, receive an annual performance update from Moorfields Eye Hospital, and review the Quarter 3 performance report for Adult Social Care. The committee approved the final report on healthy life expectancy, which included ten recommendations aimed at reducing health inequalities and improving outcomes for residents.

Improving Healthy Life Expectancy in Islington

The committee formally approved the final report of its scrutiny review into Improving Healthy Life Expectancy in Islington. This comprehensive review, which involved evidence sessions and a visit to Better Lives Drug and Alcohol Services, identified persistent health inequalities within the borough. The report makes ten recommendations, focusing on tackling inequalities, improving data insight and targeting interventions, reducing preventable mortality, and promoting early identification of long-term conditions. It also advocates for a Health in All Policies approach, strengthening healthy weight and food environments, enhancing tobacco and vaping cessation services, preparing for synthetic opioid risks, improving community insight and engagement, and adopting a whole life course approach to health. Councillor Tricia Clarke described the review as very, very good and comprehensive, stating that its implementation would be very beneficial to the health of people in Islington. Councillor Janet Burgess MBE echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance of quality of life alongside length of life, particularly for those in more deprived areas. Councillor Sarah Hyde, Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care, thanked the committee for their work, noting that the report would formally go to the executive for a response in June, with a formal response due in September.

Moorfields Eye Hospital Annual Performance Update

John Spencer, Chief Operating Officer, and Sumi Naidu, Chief Nurse and Executive Director for Allied Professionals, presented an update on Moorfields Eye Hospital's performance. They highlighted the hospital's strategic priorities, including the development of a new Centre for Eye Health in Camden, the implementation of a new Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system, the digital pathways agenda, and a focus on organisational culture. Moorfields is performing well against the national oversight framework, ranking sixth nationally in the latest assessment. The hospital reported a £5 million surplus against a planned deficit for the last financial year. They also detailed their single point of access service (SPARC), which has significantly reduced urgent referral processing times and is being commissioned by other areas.

During the discussion, Councillor Tricia Clarke inquired about the accessibility of future digital services and the hospital's use of Palantir. Mr. Spencer confirmed that Moorfields does access the federated data platform run by Palantir, which is commissioned by NHS England, but they do not have direct local relationships with the company. He also addressed concerns about a new drug for hypotony, stating that research showed significant vision improvement in seven out of eight patients. Councillor Janet Burgess MBE praised Moorfields for its excellent service and its partnership with Islington's Dementia Friendly Partnership. Councillor Toby North asked about the detailed planning for the move to the new site in Camden and Moorfields' integration into neighbourhood health teams. Mr. Spencer explained that detailed patient communication about the move would commence in the summer and that Moorfields is already collaborating with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to keep patients closer to home. He also noted that Moorfields still has a presence in Islington with its Hoxton unit.

Quarter 3 Performance Report – Adult Social Care

Councillor Sarah Hyde, Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care, presented the Quarter 3 performance report for Adult Social Care. She expressed satisfaction with the performance in the last quarter, highlighting ambitious targets for new admissions criteria for residential and nursing care homes and the team's efforts to achieve them. Councillor Tricia Clarke welcomed the goals of helping people recover and stay independent, and specifically asked for a breakdown of the 60 new extra care units at Holloway Park, noting that 60% of these units are designated for over 55s. Councillor Janet Burgess MBE inquired about a noted increase in new admissions to nursing and residential care homes, and Victoria, an officer, explained that while they had investigated this, all admissions reviewed were deemed appropriate, and they would continue to monitor the figures. Councillor Benali Hamdache asked about the progress of integrating various teams onto a single system for safeguarding inquiries. Victoria confirmed that this integration has led to significant improvements in performance recording and oversight.