The Adults, Wellbeing and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to review the financial outturn for Adult and Health Services, examine the council's performance against its strategic objectives, and receive an update on the Shotley Bridge Hospital redevelopment project.

Shotley Bridge Hospital Update

The committee was scheduled to receive a presentation on the Shotley Bridge Community Hospital (SBCH) redevelopment project. This project has been part of the New Hospital Programme (NHP) since 2020. Following a review of the NHP, the redevelopment was approved in January 2025 as a wave 1 scheme, with a budget of £63.4 million. The identified land for the hospital is located in Consett, and planning approval is in place. The programme was reinstated in 2025 with a focus on updating the Outline Business Case (OBC) in preparation for land acquisition and construction by February 2029. The presentation was expected to cover progress and timeframes, including the approval of a Short Form Business Case for land acquisition and soft strip of the site, awaiting approval from the NHP Investment Committee. It was also anticipated that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) would be released, making funding available for drawdown, and that the RIBA Stage 3 design would be achieved. The OBC approval was scheduled for the Trust Board in June 2026, with drawdown from the MOU to allow the Trust to enter into a development agreement with a developer by the end of June 2026. The OBC was expected to be presented to the ICB/New Hospital Programme Joint Investment Group in August 2026.

Q3 Revenue and Budget Outturn 2025/26

The committee was scheduled to review the forecast outturn budget position for the Adult and Health Services (AHS) service grouping for the financial year 2025/26, based on the position at the end of December 2025. The report indicated an anticipated underspend of £0.895 million against a revenue budget of £162.808 million, representing a 0.55% underspend. This was a decrease from the quarter two underspend of £1.540 million. The report was expected to detail the reasons for variances in spending. The AHS capital budget for 2025/26 comprised one scheme, the upgrade of Hawthorn House respite centre, which had an original budget of £33,674. Following the completion of the project, a refund was credited, and the budget was no longer required, resulting in a reported underspend and a capital budget of nil as at 31 December 2025. The recommendation was for the committee to note the financial position outlined in the report.

2025/26 Q3 Performance Management Report

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the council's progress towards achieving the strategic ambitions and objectives set out in its Council Plan 2025-30. The report was to provide performance data as of 31 December 2025, alongside contextual information on activities during the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. The report was expected to present Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) through 'easy to read' dashboards, focusing on trends, direction of travel, benchmarking, and performance against targets, framed within the national context. The recommendation was for the committee to note the overall position and direction of travel for quarter three and the actions being taken to address areas of challenge. The report highlighted that permanent admissions to residential or nursing care for adults aged 65+ had reduced over the last year, and the percentage of people achieving their desired outcome from the adult safeguarding process had increased. Areas being addressed included the percentage of people self-reporting anxiety, which was similar to regional and national rates, and suicide rates, which remained higher than the national rate but had been stable since 2020. The report also detailed performance indicators related to helping residents live long and healthy lives, and ensuring effective, high-quality, sustainable care services. Specific data was to be presented on adult social care referrals, assessments, and reviews, admissions to permanent care, occupancy in older persons care homes, reablement packages, services received, direct payments, and the outcomes of the safeguarding process. Public health data on self-reported wellbeing and the rate of suicide was also to be discussed. The report also outlined the council's performance measurement framework, which uses an Outcomes Based Accountability (OBA) model.