The Health and Adult Services Scrutiny Committee met on Wednesday, 22 April 2026, to discuss the progress of the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme, the Lancashire Constabulary's Right Care, Right Person initiative, and the work of the Health Scrutiny Steering Group. Key discussions included improving access to mental health services, the police's role in responding to welfare concerns, and the ongoing integration of health and social care.

Community Mental Health Transformation Programme Update

The committee received an update on the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme, which aims to improve mental and physical health outcomes by shifting services into communities and enhancing access to integrated care. The programme has focused on developing place-based hubs and enhanced multidisciplinary teams (eMDTs) to provide more coordinated support. Progress has been made in integrating health and social care through co-location, drop-in sessions, and collaborative working with the voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector.

Key achievements highlighted include:

• Integrated Neighbourhood Teams: The development of district-based hubs and integrated neighbourhood teams to provide a more localised and consistent approach to mental health support.
• Enhanced Multidisciplinary Teams (eMDTs): The establishment of virtual hubs comprising core professionals from health, social care, and peer support, with the ability to draw on wider system partners like the police and housing services. This aims to ensure the right professionals are involved in a person's care from the outset.
• Accommodation Pathways: Strengthening of accommodation options, including step-down facilities for older adults and adults ready for hospital discharge, as well as residential rehabilitation schemes.
• Prevention and Early Intervention: The Mental Health and Wellbeing Team (MHWBT) works with primary care networks and VCFSE partners to deliver early intervention and preventative support, reducing the need for crisis services. The use of the Public Health in Lancashire bus has also increased visibility and facilitated early conversations about wellbeing.

Despite positive progress, challenges remain, including:

• Housing as a Barrier: Housing was identified as a significant barrier to achieving good outcomes, with a need for more flexible, accessible, and responsive housing offers.
• Waiting Lists: Concerns were raised about waiting lists for community mental health assessments and interventions, with a call for more support to be available in the interim.
• Co-production: While there is a commitment to co-production, some individuals with lived experience felt they were not sufficiently engaged or communicated with in a personalised way.
• Workforce Capacity: Significant concerns were raised regarding workforce capacity to meet demand, and the need for assurance on how this will be managed.
• Information Accessibility: A need for more accessible information and a simplified customer journey was highlighted, with a suggestion that professional jargon should be avoided.

The committee also discussed the Co-occurring Conditions Improvement Programme, which aims to address the poorer outcomes experienced by individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use needs. This programme focuses on improving access, visibility, harm reduction, and coroners' assurance.

Lancashire Constabulary: Right Care, Right Person Update

Superintendent Martin Storey provided an update on Lancashire Constabulary's Right Care, Right Person programme. This initiative aims to provide a clear framework for police staff to determine the most suitable agency for responding to Concern for Safety reports, ensuring that police resources are deployed appropriately and that individuals are signposted to agencies with statutory responsibilities for ongoing care.

Key points from the update include:

• Core Police Duties: The police will respond to welfare checks when engaged in their core duties: preventing and detecting crime, keeping the peace, and protecting life and property. An immediate risk to life or serious harm would trigger a police response.
• Public Assistance and Service Standards (PASS): The constabulary uses the PASS framework to grade incident logs, with response times ranging from 15 minutes for emergency responses to 48 hours for standard responses.
• THRIVE+ Model: This national model is used for risk assessment, considering threat, harm, risk, vulnerability, and engagement needs to ensure proportionate responses.
• Deployment Statistics: Over the past 12 months, approximately 35,000 Concern for Safety reports were received, resulting in deployments to 63% of these incidents.
• Escalation and Review: Control room operators can escalate decisions not to deploy to a supervisor for review, and callers are advised to recontact if circumstances change.
• No Coroner Notices: Since the introduction of Right Care, Right Person in 2022, there have been no occasions where a coroner has issued a formal notice to the constabulary regarding its implementation.

The committee heard that the police are committed to working closely with health, adult social care, and other partners to ensure vulnerable people receive the most appropriate response. Street triage teams, comprising police officers and healthcare professionals, work across Lancashire to respond to mental health crises.

Health Scrutiny Steering Group Report

The committee received a report on the activities of the Health Scrutiny Steering Group, which met on 24 February and 7 April 2026. The group considered updates from Healthwatch Lancashire, the NHS Quality Impact Assessment Review, and the University Hospitals Morecambe Bay Trust.

• Healthwatch Lancashire: The group noted Healthwatch's work in gathering and championing the experiences of service users, with recent projects focusing on women's health, disability access, and maternity services. Healthwatch has engaged with over 2,700 people this year and is working to improve accessibility and its presence in line with the neighbourhood model.
• NHS Quality Impact Assessment (QIA) Review: The group was informed that national guidance on QIAs was revised in June 2025, with a four-stage process for assessing the potential impact of proposed service changes on quality and safety.
• University Hospitals Morecambe Bay Trust Update: The Trust has made significant financial improvements and shown measurable progress in quality and safety, with recent CQC reports indicating good ratings in areas such as maternity services. Patient access has also improved, with performance in cancer, diagnostics, and elective treatment placing the Trust in the top 25% nationally. However, ongoing pressures such as emergency department overcrowding and workforce challenges persist.
• Better Care Fund: The Steering Group discussed the Better Care Fund, a national framework for integrating health, local government, and housing services. While national conditions have been met, challenges remain with delayed discharge metrics due to national data limitations. Concerns were raised about the life expectancy gap for people with learning disabilities and how their needs are addressed outside the Better Care Fund.

Health and Adult Services Scrutiny Committee and Steering Group Work Programmes 2025/26

The committee reviewed its work programmes for 2025/26. The Health and Adult Services Scrutiny Committee's work programme includes reports on Adult Services, Public Health, and NHS service scrutiny. Key upcoming items include a joint report on adult mental health integration and an update on the CQC inspection action plan. The Steering Group's work programme includes items such as winter planning, NHS Quality Accounts, and updates from various NHS trusts.

Recommendations and Future Actions

Following the discussions, several recommendations and areas for further action were identified:

• Housing and Hub Locations: A recommendation was made to provide information on the location of support housing and hubs.
• Drop-in Sessions: Further information on drop-in sessions and centres, including locations, was requested.
• Housing Presentation: A dedicated presentation on housing was suggested, given its significance as a barrier to mental health outcomes.
• A&E Attendance Figures: Figures for A&E attendance for mental health patients requiring a place of safety were requested to understand the extent of this issue and track any decline.
• Advocacy and Preventative Support: The need for mental health advocacy and preventative support, particularly for individuals at risk of crisis who may not meet statutory thresholds, was highlighted.
• Data on Outcomes: A focus on developing meaningful data that reflects outcomes for individuals, rather than just outputs, was emphasised.
• VCFSE Sector Engagement: Continued efforts to ensure equal partnership and access to training for VCFSE partners were stressed.
• Streamlining Bureaucracy: A review of social care and health professional bureaucracy was suggested to improve efficiency.
• District Council Input: Increased integration and input from district councils into system leader groups was welcomed.
• Lessons Learned from Winter Plan: A future report on lessons learned from the Winter Plan, including actions to improve patient flow and reduce corridor care, was requested.
• Investment in Preventative Initiatives: Consideration of further investment in preventative health initiatives, community-based support for low-income individuals, and support for those with chronic or enduring conditions was recommended.
• Mental Health in Criminal Justice System: Further focus on advocacy and support for individuals entering the police and criminal justice system with mental health issues was suggested.
• Data on A&E Mental Health Attendance: Data on mental health patients attending A&E for a place of safety was requested, with a view to seeing a decline in these numbers.
• Improved Housing Offer: A more flexible, accessible, and responsive housing offer was highlighted as a priority.
• Crisis Intervention: A focus on crisis intervention that comes to the individual was requested.
• Safer Hospital Discharge and Aftercare: Improved hospital discharge processes and access to appropriate community support were identified as crucial.
• Children and Young People's Services: Increased investment in services for children and young people to support them earlier and prevent future adult mental health issues was recommended.
• Adults with Autism: A focus on adults with autism was requested, including increased funding and tailored support.

The committee also noted that the next ordinary meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 17 June 2026, at 10 am.