The North West London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to discuss a range of significant health service matters, including a planned temporary move of specialist children's heart, lung, and critical care inpatient services, and the transformation of a specialist learning disability CAMHS ward. The committee will also receive updates on cancer prevention and early diagnosis across North West London.

Planned Temporary Move of Specialist Children's Heart, Lung, and Critical Care Inpatient Services

A key item for discussion is the planned temporary move of specialist children's heart, lung, and critical care inpatient services currently provided by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT). This move is prompted by clinical risk escalation regarding the safety and sustainability of the paediatric cardiac surgical service, with professional clinical judgement indicating the current on-call rota cannot be sustained beyond April 2026 without compromising patient safety. The proposal is to temporarily consolidate these services at the Evelina London Children's Hospital and St Thomas' Hospital site. This consolidation is also driven by the need to meet mandated national Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) standards for co-location of services.

The report outlines that outpatient clinics, day-case procedures not requiring sedation, outpatient imaging, and research will not be affected by this move. The relocation of cardiac surgery necessitates the temporary move of paediatric respiratory inpatients due to their reliance on the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and other co-located specialist paediatric services, which would become unviable at the Royal Brompton Hospital site. The paper details the specific respiratory sub-services that will be transferred, including those for Cystic Fibrosis, Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia, severe asthma, long-term ventilation, and rare lung diseases. The report also provides details on the planned capacity at Evelina London Children's Hospital to accommodate these services, including ward beds, High Dependency Unit (HDU) beds, and PICU capacity. The move is scheduled to begin in mid-May 2026 and will be phased over 2-3 weeks. This temporary change is not a decision on the long-term configuration of the service and will be followed by a formal process to determine the permanent future of these services.

Transforming the Crystal House Specialist LD CAMHS Ward

The committee is also scheduled to consider the transformation of the Crystal House specialist learning disability CAMHS ward. The current 5-bed inpatient unit, with an annual running cost of over £2.9 million, is described as no longer meeting the needs of patients or aligning with national priorities and upcoming legislation for the care of children and young people with learning disabilities. The report highlights that the unit has admitted a low number of patients over the past six years, with many not being from North West London. Furthermore, the unit is often understaffed relative to its commissioned capacity and has experienced periods of being completely empty.

The proposed changes are driven by shifts in national policy, including the Mental Health Act, which will focus detention primarily on mental illness, meaning many young people with learning disabilities may not meet new criteria. The NHS 10-year plan also mandates a reduction in admissions and length of stay for people with learning disabilities. A new model of care is being developed, which aims to provide earlier, community-based support, preventing escalation and reducing costly admissions. This new model is projected to reach up to 40 times more children and young people than the current model, with funds being reinvested into the CAMHS pathway. The report details engagement activities undertaken between summer 2024 and the present, with key themes including a strong preference for community-based support and continuity of care. The next steps involve discharging the current patient, implementing a transitional model in April 2026, and fully embedding the new model by October 2026.

Cancer Prevention and Early Diagnosis Across North West London

The committee will also receive information regarding cancer prevention and early diagnosis initiatives across North West London. While the specific details of this discussion are not fully elaborated in the provided documents, it is listed as a key agenda item, indicating a focus on strategies and programmes aimed at reducing cancer incidence and improving the detection of cancer at its earliest stages within the region.

North West London JHOSC Recommendations Tracker and Work Programme

The committee will review the North West London JHOSC Recommendations Tracker, which summarises scrutiny recommendations made and tracks decisions made by NHS colleagues and implementation progress. Additionally, the 2025/26 Work Programme for the committee will be presented and confirmed. This programme outlines the health policy areas the committee plans to review during the municipal year, with flexibility to address emerging items. The work programme indicates that the discussions on the Planned Temporary Move of Specialist Children's Heart, Lung, and Critical Care Inpatient Services and Transforming the Crystal House Specialist LD CAMHS Ward are scheduled for this meeting. Items such as Digital Health, Data Use, AI and Digital Inclusion, and Weight Loss Drug Supply and Roll Out have been deferred to the 2026/27 municipal year.