Agenda

To APPROVE the minutes of the meeting held on 11 June 2026 and to receive information arising from them.

Members of the public who wish to speak on an item on the agenda at this meeting, or present a petition, can attend the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ through an online connection.

Requests to present a petition must be submitted no later than 9am ten working days before the meeting,

Requests to speak must be submitted no later than 9am three working days before the meeting, i.e. Monday 7^th September 2026

Requests should be submitted to the Scrutiny Officer at omid.nouri@oxfordshire.gov.uk AND  scrutiny@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

If you are speaking ‘virtually’, you may submit a written statement of your presentation to ensure that if the technology fails, then your views can still be taken into account. A written copy of your statement can be provided no later than 9am on the day of the meeting. Written submissions should be no longer than 1 A4 sheet.

The Committee has received Acceptances and Responses to recommendations made as part of the following item(s):

1.    Director of Public Health Annual Report.

2.    All-Age Autism Strategy.

3.    Adult/Older Adult Mental Health.

The Committee is recommended to NOTE the responses.

The Chair will provide a verbal update on relevant issues since the last meeting.

Two reports containing Recommendations from the Committee were sent on behalf of the JHOSC as part of the following areas/items:

1.    Dentistry Services in Oxfordshire.

2.    South Central Ambulance Service CQC Improvement Journey.

These reports are attached to the agenda papers for this item.

A letter was submitted on behalf of the Committee to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, where the Committee requested that Government:

Ø  Reconsider the proposed abolition of Healthwatch and explore whether its objectives could instead be achieved through reform of the existing model.

Ø  Protect the principle of independence within future patient voice arrangements, allowing local areas to retain or commission independent organisations where appropriate.

Ø  Provide maximum local flexibility so that health and care systems can design arrangements that reflect local circumstances and community needs.

The Committee received a response Letter from the Department of Health and Social Care. Both the letter submitted on behalf the JHOSC as well as the DHSC’s response are attached to the agenda papers for this item.

The Committee received a Letter from the Thames Valley ICB with an update on delayed payments to Adult Social Care Providers. This Letter is attached to the agenda papers for this item.

The Committee is recommended to NOTE the Chair’s update having raised any relevant questions.

The purpose of this item is to receive the final report of the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee’s Primary Care Access & Estates Working Group.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to:

a)    RECEIVE and ENDORSE the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) primary care and estates working group report found in Annex 1.

b)    AGREE to the recommendations outlined in the working group report and for these to be issued to the Thames Valley Integrated Care Board.

c)    AGREE to share this report and its findings with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

d)    AGREE to share this report and its findings with the Oxfordshire Health and Wellbeing Board.

e)    AGREE to DELEGATE to the Health Scrutiny Officer to arrange for this report to be graphically finalised, and for a graphical and accessible version of this report to be published in the November JHOSC public meeting.

f)      NOTE the formal closure of the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee primary care and estates working group.

Lily O’ Connor (Programme Director, Urgent & Emergency Care, Oxfordshire) has been invited to present a report on Urgent Emergency Care/System Pressures.

PLEASE NOTE: There are TWO reports attached to this item:

1.    A General Urgent Emergency Care Update for HOSC (answering some specific themes raised by the Committee when commissioning this item).

2.    Oxfordshire’s Urgent Emergency Care Winter Plan.

The Committee is invited to consider the two reports, raise any questions and AGREE any recommendations arising it may wish to make.

Ansaf Azhar (Director of Public Health, Oxfordshire County Council) and Carole Stow (Engagement & Consultation Manager, Oxfordshire County Council) have been invited to present an update on the ongoing work to explore the future of Independent Patient and Resident Voice in Oxfordshire. This is in light of government’s plans to abolish the Healthwatch function.

The JHOSC will receive an update on the engagement work commissioned by the Health and Wellbeing Board’s Patient Voice Working Group to explore what residents feel about the role and significance of an Independent Patient and Resident Voice.

The Committee is invited to consider the report, raise any questions and AGREE any recommendations arising it may wish to make.

Veronica Barry (Executive Director of Healthwatch Oxfordshire) has been invited to present the Healthwatch Oxfordshire Update Report.

The Committee is invited to consider the Healthwatch Oxfordshire update and NOTE it having raised any questions arising.

Olivia Clymer (Director of Strategy & Partnerships, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) has been invited to present a report with an update on the Horton General Hospital.

This item constitutes the first of two public meeting items that will be held on the Horton General Hospital (the second being scheduled for the JHOSC’s November public meeting). This particular item will focus on the following themes:

Ø  Strategic Role of the Hospital.

Ø  Current Services Delivered at the Horton.

Ø  Access to Care and Patient Flows.

Ø  Estate and Infrastructure.

Ø  An update on the condition, capacity and utilisation of the Horton estate.

Ø  The current estate constraints affecting service delivery.

Ø  Quality Safety and Regulatory Assurance.

The Committee is invited to consider the report, raise any questions and AGREE any recommendations arising it may wish to make.

The Committee is recommended to AGREE to the proposed work programme for its upcoming meetings.

The Committee is recommended to NOTE the progress made against agreed actions and recommendations having raised any questions.