Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Cllr Sargent, Cllr Edwards, and Sylvia Buckingham.

The Committee sent their best wishes to Cllr Sargent.

Barbera Shaw declared her interest as the Chair of Healthwatch Oxfordshire.

Cllr Hanna declared her interest as an employee of SUDEP action.

To APPROVE the minutes of the meeting held on 20 November 2025 and to receive information arising from them.

The Committee APPROVED the minutes of the meeting held on 20 November 2025 as a true and accurate record.

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, i.e. 15 January 2026

Requests to speak must be submitted no later than 9am three working days before the meeting, i.e. Monday, 26 January 2026.

Requests should be submitted to the Scrutiny Officer at 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.

Roseanne Edwards (Banbury Guardian) urged the committee to address ongoing problems with maternity care at John Radcliffe Hospital and its impact on the Horton General Hospital. She claimed that a PowerPoint presentation was withheld from the Keep the Horton General group for nine months, which undermined their case. Roseanne argued that reported improvements did not solve space limitations, staff shortages, or high birth rates, and called for engagement on restoring two obstetric units in Oxfordshire.

Joan Stuart (Keep our NHS Public) warned of long-term risks to Oxford Eye Hospital, mainly due to profit-driven NHS-funded eye clinics. She explained that capping private sector profits could lead to a £45 million loss and withdrawal from cataract services. Fee cuts would impact NHS departments by ignoring their wider roles, while higher tariffs for complex surgeries might push private clinics to take over work now done by NHS hospitals, endangering future financial stability.

Emma Henrion (Keep our NHS Public) discussed concerns about the future of two NHS LIFT schemes in Oxford, with leases expiring in 2031. She explained that the ownership and accountability of these sites were unclear, as the company holding the leases lacked local health stakeholders. Emma warned that similar issues could arise with future health centres under public-private partnerships. She requested the Committee seek clarity from the ICB on site ownership, decision-making processes, and the ICB’s relationship with the leaseholder. 

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

1.    Eyecare Services in Oxfordshire

2.    GP Access & Estates

The Committee is recommended to NOTE the responses.

The Committee NOTED the responses to Committee recommendations on:

• Eyecare Services in Oxfordshire
• GP Access & Estates

The Committee expressed concern that the response to the Committee’s recommendation on Eyecare services did not address the intended issue of tracking specific problems escalated to the Eye Hospital. They emphasised the need for a system to identify trends and sources of issues, particularly from private providers, for effective contract management.

The purpose of this item is for the Committee to receive an update on the JHOSC Substantial Change Working Group and its ongoing scrutiny of the project to redevelop Wantage Community Hospital.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to:

1.    NOTE the work of the JHOSC substantial change working group around scrutinising the project to redevelop Wantage Community Hospital since the previous update provided to the Committee on 30 January 2025.

2.    CONFIRM its support for the working group continuing for a further 12 months and its ongoing scrutiny of the project to redevelop the Hospital.

3.    AGREE the appointment of three new permanent members for the working group to replace those members who are no longer on the committee: Councillors Champken-Woods, Haywood and Barrow.

The Committee received an update on the JHOSC Substantial Change Working Group and its ongoing scrutiny of the project to redevelop Wantage Community Hospital.

The Chair updated the Committee on the substantial change working group, noting its ongoing scrutiny of the redevelopment project for Wantage Community Hospital. They explained that the hospital, serving a large local population, had been temporarily closed for many years, and the working group had identified local needs and inequalities. Progress had been made with building works underway, and the Chair recommended that the Committee supports the working group’s continuation for another year and to appoint three new members to replace those who had left.

The Committee NOTED, CONFIRMED, and AGREED to the recommendations in the update.

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

A report was submitted on behalf of the Committee containing recommendations to system partners on Children’s Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health. This can be found in the agenda papers for this item.

A report was also submitted on behalf of the Committee with recommendations to system partners on the Oxfordshire Neighbourhood Health Plan. This can be found in the agenda papers for this item.

The Committee has also received a response from the Department of Health and Social Care to its letter urging support from Oxfordshire MPs to preserve an Independent Patient Voice for Oxfordshire. This response from the DHSC can be found in the agenda papers for this item.

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

The Chair provided a verbal update on the following issues since the previous OJHOSC meeting.

Cllr Garnett joined the meeting at this stage.

A detailed deep dive into children’s emotional wellbeing and mental health services had already taken place in November, with further scrutiny on adult mental health, including transition issues, scheduled for April 2026. ‑dive into children’s emotional wellbeing and mental health services had already taken place in November, with further scrutiny on adult mental health, including transition issues, scheduled for April

A report containing the Committee’s recommendations on the Oxfordshire Neighbourhood Health Plan had been submitted to system partners.

Another report was submitted on behalf of the Committee containing recommendations to system partners on Children’s Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health.

The Committee was asked to NOTE the formal response received from the Department of Health and Social Care via Anneliese Dodds MP, regarding future arrangements for an independent patient voice after the imminent abolition of Healthwatch by government legislation.

The Chair also referenced a recent Oxfordshire County Council motion requesting scrutiny of both children’s and adult mental health services.

An update was also given on interactions between the Chair and Health Scrutiny Officer with the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire West Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee (BOB JHOSC) Vice Chair and the Buckinghamshire Council Scrutiny Manager as part of preparations for the establishment of a new Thames Valley JHOSC.

The Committee was also informed of a private meeting held with its members and with Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on 22 December 2025, to receive an update on maternity services.

Another meeting was also held between the Chair, the Health Scrutiny Officer, Dan Leveson, BOB ICB (Integrated Care Board) Director of Place and Communities, and Julie Dandridge, BOB ICB Associate Director for Primary Care, which had enabled concerns about primary care (including in Didcot) and local practice closures to be raised.

The Committee NOTED the Chair’s update.

Ansaf Azhar, Director of Public Health and Communities (Oxfordshire County Council), has been invited to present the Director of Public Health Annual Report.

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

Ansaf Azhar, Director of Public Health and Communities (Oxfordshire County Council), Kate Austin (Public Health Principal), and Fiona Ruck (Health Improvement Practitioner), were invited to present the Director of Public Health Annual Report.

The Committee received a presentation on the Director of Public Health’s Annual Report, which took the form of an interactive web‑based publication designed to make health information more engaging and accessible. The Public Health Principal and Health Improvement Practitioner demonstrated the platform’s features, noting its use of bold visual design, clear navigation tiles and intentionally concise text to help users explore themes such as local data, lived experience, health inequalities and community voice. Offices highlighted that the new format builds on the direction set by the 2020 report, “Some Are More Equal Than Others”, by showing progress in several areas of deprivation and showcasing community‑led initiatives that have developed despite significant financial pressures across the system.

The Committee heard that the digital report incorporates videos, case studies, blogs and toolkits, including contributions from Professor Sir Michael Marmot and local community health workers. These materials aimed to demonstrate the real‑life impacts of health inequalities and highlight the positive outcomes achieved by communities themselves. Officers explained that the toolkit had been designed to help local groups access and interpret data at the most appropriate geographic level, and where possible at parish level, to support targeted action in both urban and rural contexts. They highlighted how the toolkit could provide granular detail at parish level, supporting tailored action in both rural and urban communities.

Officers discussed how the report and associated tools address the specific challenges faced by residents in affluent rural areas, where isolation, poor transport links and hidden deprivation can hinder access to services. They emphasised the importance of integrating local insight with the NHS ten‑year plan to ensure that community experience influences future commissioning. The wide geography of the Thames Valley ICB was acknowledged as a further challenge, reinforcing the need for strong partnership working and a consistent focus on inequalities. The overarching intention of the new digital format is to foster dialogue, empower isolated individuals and enable community narratives to shape future public health priorities and service development. Importantly, they underlined the report’s aim to foster dialogue, empower isolated individuals, and ensure community voices influence future health services and tangible health improvements.

Members sought clarity on the level of granularity available in the forthcoming toolkit and digital data platform. Officers explained that while users can already explore detailed data for the ten priority wards, equivalent parish‑level information was not yet available county‑wide due to national data limitations. Some indicators could be broken down more locally than others, and qualitative community insight was currently published for the fourteen areas where Community Insight Profiles had been completed. The long‑term ambition was to extend this model across Oxfordshire, but data gaps, particularly in rural settings where small populations can mask need, prevented a fully consistent approach. Officers stressed that the new toolkit  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8/26

Karen Fuller, Director of Adult Social Care (Oxfordshire County Council), has been invited to present a report on the Oxfordshire Learning Disability Plan.

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

Karen Fuller (Director of Adult Social Care, Oxfordshire County Council); Bhavna Taank (Head of Joint Commissioning - Live Well); Clair Taylor (My Life My Choice Project Co-ordinator); Kumudu Perera (My Life My Choice Expert by Experience); Alex Wheeler (Senior Joint Commissioning Officer); and Matthew Tait, (BOB ICB Chief Delivery Officer), were invited to present a report on the Oxfordshire Learning Disability Plan.

The Director of Adult Social Care highlighted the strong foundations of co‑production that had shaped the plan and emphasised the positive atmosphere surrounding its development. She noted that the plan had recently been discussed at Cabinet, where its formal signing and subsequent media coverage had been warmly received, reflecting a strong endorsement of the work undertaken.

The Head of Joint Commissioning – Live Well and the My Life My Choice Expert by Experience then presented the Oxfordshire Learning Disability Plan in detail. They explained that the plan represented a ten‑year, dynamic strategy that had been co‑produced with people with learning disabilities, their families, carers and professionals across the system. Four central themes shaped the strategy: having a good life, health and wellbeing, a place to live, and homes not hospitals. These themes were supported by cross‑cutting elements including transitions, workforce, technology and inclusion. They emphasised that the plan had been informed by extensive engagement involving more than 200 participants, whose contributions had centred on communication, access to activities and the importance of meaningful relationships.

The My Life My Choice Expert by Experience described the empowerment gained through the co‑production process and illustrated how lived experience had helped frame the plan’s priorities. The Officers explained that the plan aligned closely with both local frameworks and wider national policy.

The discussion moved into the structure of future reviews, and Officers explained that although the plan had originally been designed for formal reviews at three‑, five‑ and seven‑year points, this structure had been amended following feedback gathered through the World Café engagement event. People with learning disabilities had expressed a preference for an earlier review to ensure timely reflection and the ability to respond more dynamically to changing needs.

Officers confirmed that each review would draw on renewed engagement, likely employing a similar World Café‑style format, ensuring that lived experience continued to guide the plan’s evolution. Oversight of progress sat with the Learning Disability Improvement Board, which would assess whether developments in services, new data or emerging concerns required earlier revisions. They stressed that the plan had been deliberately structured as a dynamic document that any subgroup or partner could request to revisit if significant issues, changes in need or new evidence came to light.

Attention then turned to risk management, and Officers explained that oversight of risk sat with the Learning Disability Improvement Board, comprising health, social care, voluntary sector representatives and experts by experience. This structure provided continuous scrutiny and challenge. Officers added that the extensive co‑production process itself helped to mitigate risks by ensuring that actions within the plan  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9/26

Olivia Clymer (Director of Strategy and Partnerships, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust), has been invited to present a report containing an update on Maternity Services.

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

Yvonne Christley (Chief Nurse, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [OUH]) and Professor Dr. Andrew Brent (Chief Medical Officer, OUH), were invited to present the report containing an update on Maternity Services.

The Chair welcomed the Chief Nurse and Chief Medical Officer and invited the Committee to proceed directly to substantive discussion. Members sought clarity on whether the Trust had met families affected by maternity concerns and whether longstanding campaign groups had been meaningfully engaged, particularly in light of previous tensions. The officers reported that groups such as Keep the Horton General had engaged with the Trust at various times, including at listening events, although concerns had persisted about transparency and the handling of information shared by those groups.

The Committee reflected on the private meeting with OUH on 22 December 2025, which had enabled sensitive matters to be raised directly and had provided an opportunity to secure clearer commitments regarding transparency, responsiveness and future engagement. Members underlined the need for renewed dialogue among the Trust, campaigners and affected families, recognising the depth of feeling and the imperative to rebuild confidence.

Attention then turned to the potential for a fresh approach to engagement with campaign groups and the part that Healthwatch could have played as an independent bridge. The officers acknowledged the longstanding nature of concerns within local groups and recognised that earlier engagement had not always built confidence, partly due to misunderstandings and worries about the treatment of information. They supported a renewed, structured model of engagement that brought campaign groups and the Trust together more effectively. They agreed that Healthwatch’s independence made it a valuable, community‑facing partner, capable of both facilitating dialogue and offering challenge, particularly while national arrangements for patient‑voice functions remained uncertain.

The financial environment formed a further line of inquiry. Members explored the implications of NHS tariff changes for maternity services, especially in the context of increasingly complex clinical presentations. The officers noted that national tariff adjustments had been affecting multiple clinical areas. As an illustration, ophthalmology had experienced reduced tariffs for routine activity contrasted with increases for complex procedures, a pattern they considered relevant to maternity. With workloads growing more complex and requiring greater staff time and specialist intervention, the officers questioned whether current tariffs adequately recognised rising acuity. The Trust had already raised these pressures and advocated for sustainable funding models that reflected the real cost of safe, high‑quality maternity care. Members warned that tariff misalignment risked worsening workforce and capacity pressures, and the officers confirmed that the matter would remain a focus for continuing scrutiny.

The discussion moved to maternity safety outcomes, with reference to the historic spike in postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) and the measures that had subsequently driven improvement. The officers explained that the increase in PPH had been linked to several factors, including a more complex maternity population and service pressures that had undermined consistency of care. The Trust had conducted a detailed review to understand contributory causes and had implemented a targeted improvement plan. The most  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10/26

Veronica Barry, Executive Director of Healthwatch Oxfordshire, has been invited to present an update from Healthwatch Oxfordshire.

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

Veronica Barry, Executive Director of Healthwatch Oxfordshire, was invited to present an update from Healthwatch Oxfordshire.

The Executive Director provided an update on Healthwatch Oxfordshire’s recent activities. She reported that Healthwatch had been monitoring issues with new systems, such as improved communication at the Key Medical Centre and ongoing concerns with Quora Health’s MSK services, including appointment cancellations and travel difficulties.

Discharge processes, especially in rural areas, continued to be a focus, with follow-ups on previous recommendations. The Executive Director also highlighted increasing concerns about the new non-emergency transport service, noting that Healthwatch was collecting stories and would keep a close watch on developments. All Healthwatch reports and system responses were made available on their website.

A question was raised about whether the Healthwatch research guide addressed the role of towns and parishes in community research, suggesting these institutions would want to be involved when research teams engaged with local populations. Veronica Barry responded that the workshops had included community members in the design process and that the intention was for the report to be relevant to anyone in Oxfordshire wishing to undertake research. The Neighbourhood Planning Alliance had also participated actively.

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

Members discussed and prioritised agenda topics for upcoming meetings. They agreed that the 16 April 2026 public meeting would focus on adult and older adult mental health, (including transitions). Consideration was also given to feature updates on neighbourhood health developments, on the South Central Ambulance Service, and on dentistry services in future HOSC meetings.

Members also considered adding items on dementia support, prostate cancer, cancer wait times, and rheumatology.

The Committee NOTED that the above items would be placed on a provisional list for future public meetings.

The Committee AGREED and emphasised the need to remain flexible, adapting the work programme as partner engagement and system developments evolved.

The Committee also AGREED to enable the Chair and Health Scrutiny Officer to make final amendments to the work plan offline.

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

The Committee NOTED the action and recommendation tracker.