Agenda and draft minutes

The Health Scrutiny Officer opened the meeting and asked if there were any nominations for a Chair of the Committee for the 2026-2027 council year. Cllr Ron Batstone nominated Cllr Jane Hanna, and Cllr Paul-Austin Sargent seconded.

There being no other nominations, Cllr Jane Hanna was elected Chair of the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) for the 2026-2027 council year.

City Cllr Louise Upton was elected vice-chair of the Committee for the 2026-2027 council year.

Apologies were received from Cllr Emma Garnett, with Cllr Gavin McLauchlan substituting. Apologies were also received from District Cllr Val Shaw.

Barbara Shaw declared she was a patient safety partner at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) and Chair of Healthwatch Oxfordshire.

Sylvia Buckingham declared she was a patient safety partner at OUH and a member of Healthwatch Oxfordshire.

Cllr Jane Hanna declared she was a staff member at SUDEP Action.

To APPROVE the minutes of the meeting held on 16 April 2026 and to receive information arising from them.

The minutes of the meeting held on 16 April 2026 were APPROVED as an 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.

Requests to speak must be submitted no later than 9am three working days before the meeting, i.e. 08/06/2026.

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.

Cllr Andrew Crawford, speaking on behalf of Wantage Town Council, presented findings from a local survey on dentistry access. He reported that only a third of respondents had an NHS dentist, a third were private patients, and a third had no access at all. He highlighted significant barriers including long travel distances, lack of local provision, and increasing population growth in the area. He described Wantage and Grove as a “dental desert” and called for more locally targeted NHS provision and better data on access at neighbourhood level.

Eddy McDowall, Chief Executive of the Oxfordshire Association of Care Providers, raised urgent concerns about unpaid continuing healthcare (CHC) invoices. He stated that providers were collectively owed tens of millions of pounds, with some invoices outstanding for years. He explained that this had caused severe financial strain, with some providers struggling to pay staff. He described the issue as a systemic failure linked to ICB finance processes and system changes, and urged the Committee to hold the ICB to account and push for immediate resolution and transparency.

Kristi McDonald addressed the Committee regarding epilepsy services and patient safety. She highlighted delays in accessing specialist care, stating that patients were waiting significantly longer than recommended standards. She raised concerns about the impact of Valproate policy restrictions, workforce capacity, and increasing epilepsy-related risks, including deaths in the region. She called for renewed scrutiny of previously agreed system actions, greater focus on patient safety, and stronger coordination across services, including emergency care, primary care, and mental health.

Roseanne Edwards spoke about the future of Horton General Hospital. She raised concerns about what she described as a long-term reduction in services, including maternity, surgery, and bed capacity, and the resulting pressures on Oxford hospitals. She emphasised the impact of population growth in the Banbury area and argued that retaining and expanding Horton services was essential. The Committee was urged to undertake a thorough review with local groups able to provide evidence to support this work.

The purpose of this item is for the Committee to AGREE to the appointment of a Coopted member.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to:

1.    NOTE the requirement to fill one vacant co-opted post on the

Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) and

the work undertaken to fill this post.

2.    AGREE to Dr Alan Cohen’s appointment as a co-opted member

of the JHOSC (subject to full completion and submission of a Register Of Interests form).

The Committee:

1.  NOTED the requirement to fill one vacant co-opted post on the

Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) and

the work undertaken to fill this post.

2.  AGREED to Dr Alan Cohen’s appointment as a co-opted member

of the JHOSC (subject to full completion and submission of a Register Of Interests form) for a period of two years from 10 September 2026.

The purpose of this item is to provide the Committee with an interim update on the ongoing work and activities of the JHOSC Primary Care Access and Estates Working Group.

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

1.    Cover Report.

2.    Annex 1- Main Interim Report of the Oxfordshire JHOSC Primary Care Access and Estates Working Group.

Please also note: The Annex 1 Main Interim Report of the working group has its own set of annexes labelled A-E (all of which are also attached in the agenda papers for this item).

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to:

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

b)    AGREE to the appointment of an additional working group member (whilst adhering to the principle of political balance) given that Cllr Gareth Epps is no longer a member of the Committee.

c)    AGREE to receive a final report with findings and recommendations from the working group in the September 2026 JHOSC meeting, so as to allow for:

Ø  The final planned working group session to take place with representatives of the Thames Valley Integrated Care Board (ICB) on the use of digital tools and models in primary care services.

Ø  Conducting site visits to GP practices in both rural and urban areas.

Ø  Inclusion of further findings from the working group’s inquiry on the national backdrop of General Practice, and on the case studies of the Great Western Park and Bicester Health Centre.

The Committee received a report from the Health Scrutiny Officer providing an interim update on the ongoing work and activities of the JHOSC Primary Care Access and Estates Working Group. 

The Committee:

a)     NOTED the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) primary care and estates working group interim report.

b)    AGREED to the appointment of District Cllr David Rogers.

c)    AGREED to receive a final report with findings and recommendations from the working group in the September 2026 JHOSC meeting, so as to allow for:

Ø  The final planned working group session to take place with representatives of the Thames Valley Integrated Care Board (ICB) on the use of digital tools and models in primary care services.

Ø  Conducting site visits to GP practices in both rural and urban areas.

Ø  Inclusion of further findings from the working group’s inquiry on the national backdrop of General Practice, and on the case studies of the Great Western Park and Bicester Health Centre.

d)  AGREED to share the final findings of the working group with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

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

1.    Maternity Services in Oxfordshire.

2.    Oxfordshire Learning Disability Plan.

The Committee is recommended to NOTE the responses.

The Committee received responses to its recommendations on:

1.    Maternity Services.

2.    Oxfordshire Learning Disability Plan.

The Committee NOTED the responses.

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

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

1.    Adult and Older Adult Mental Health Services.

2.    All-Age Autism Strategy.

3.    Director of Public Health Annual Report.

All these reports are published in the agenda papers for this item.

A letter was sent on behalf of the Committee to the Chief Executive of the Thames Valley ICB. It relates to the Committee being alerted to a critical situation relating to delayed payments to adult social care providers for the provision of Continuing Health Care services (CHC). The wording of this letter is as outlined below:

Dear Nick

The Committee has been alerted to a critical situation relating to delayed payments to adult social care providers for the provision of Continuing Health Care services (CHC)

Given that many providers are operating on tight margins,  delayed payments on the scale that we have been alerted to is deeply alarming because of the obvious dependency of many of our most vulnerable residents on these services. 

In light of the urgency I have discussed with Omid Nouri (Health Scrutiny Officer). It would be helpful for reassurance purposes if the ICB provided the Committee with a written response on how it is tackling this situation as soon as possible.  A written response would be reassuring at this time if it included how much money is owed; what is this as a percentage of overall spend on CHC and, if also affected, Funded Nursing Care; how many clients are supported through this route and how many providers have been and are being affected by delays in payment.  The public and residents who depend on provider services would be reassured by a clear timescale for resolving these delayed payments urgently; how many provider accounts are currently up to date and settled, and what actions are being taken to avoid these delays in the future. 

It will also be important that the Committee can be reassured at our next JHOSC meeting on 11^th  June 2026, and we would request that the ICB representative be able to report a brief update at that time.  

Kind regards

Jane Hanna 

Chair, Oxfordshire JHOSC 

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

The Chair of the Committee, Cllr Hanna, provided the following updates:

1. A report was submitted to Oxfordshire system partners on behalf of the Committee with recommendations on Adult and Older Adult Mental Health Services. This report and the recommendations therein sought to address the concerns raised by the Full Council Motion on mental health.

2. Reports had also been submitted to Oxfordshire system partners on behalf of the Committee with recommendations on the All-Age Autism Strategy and on the Director of Public Health Annual Report.

3. A letter had been sent on behalf of the Committee to the Chief Executive of the Thames Valley Integrated Care Board (ICB) in relation to delayed payments to adult social care providers for the provision of Continuing Health Care services (CHC).

4. The JHOSC primary care working group had held two further meetings with representatives of the Thames Valley ICB on 23^rd April and 9^th June to discuss GP estates and digital models respectively.

5. The Committee was alerted to proposed cuts to Gynaecology services.

6. The Committee was also alerted to proposed cuts to some aspects children’s mental health services delivered by the NHS.

7. The government intended to proceed with its initial plans to abolish the Healthwatch function. The Health and Wellbeing Board Independent voice working group continued to work on exploring and designing a new independent patient voice function post Healthwatch abolition.

8. The Committee received concerns from members of the public in regard to potential tensions between the Oxford Eye Hospital and the Trust, and the potential implications this could be having on ophthalmology patients.

9. The Committee received a letter from Western Valley Parish Council for clarification on the current state of the Great Western Park GP project.

The Committee AGREED to:

1. Write to OUH seeking clarity on the decision and the reasoning behind it, and if any impact assessments had been undertaken.

2. Write to Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust (OH) and the Thames Valley ICB in relation to proposed cuts to some aspects children’s mental health services delivered by the NHS

3. Write to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to urge government to consider the implications of abolishing the Healthwatch function; and that if government intended to proceed with abolition, to enable local flexibility to allow local systems to produce any arrangements deemed fit to support patient voice.

4. Write to OUH to seek clarity around concerns heard from members of the public in regard to potential tensions between the Oxford Eye Hospital and the Trust, and the potential implications this could be having on ophthalmology patients.

5. Write to Western Valley Parish Council in response to their letter to the JHOSC seeking clarification on the current state of the Great Western Park GP project.

The Committee NOTED the Chair’s update.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been invited to present the Trust’s Annual Quality Account for this year.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to:

a) AGREE to provide feedback on the Trust’s Quality Account.

b) AGREE to finalise the wording of the feedback subsequent to and outside this meeting, and to submit the feedback to the Trust prior to the publication date for the Quality Account at the end of June 2026.

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

1.    A Cover Letter submitted to the Committee by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for this item.

2.    The full draft Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust quality account.

Rustam Rea (Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Director of Clinical Improvement, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust); Olivia Clymer (Director of Strategy and Partnerships, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust), and Caroline Armitage (Deputy Head of Clinical Governance, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) presented the OUH quality account for the year 2025-2026.

The Committee examined the Trust’s implementation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF). The Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Director of Clinical Improvement explained that the Trust had used the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) investigation quality tool to assess the quality of investigations before and after implementation of PSIRF and had found significant improvement across all nine assessed domains.

The Committee raised a specific issue relating to learning from deaths and referred to a prevention of future deaths report from August 2025, asking whether this had been incorporated into the Trust’s learning processes and how the Trust engaged with bereaved families where learning arose from a death. The Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Director of Clinical Improvement explained that both the Trust’s hospital standardised mortality ratio and summary hospital-level mortality indicator were within expected or better‑than‑expected ranges, and that the number of prevention of future deaths notices received by the Trust had reduced in recent years. He attributed this partly to improvements in the quality of investigations and the evidence the Trust was able to present to coroners in relation to learning and action taken. The Trust would need to look back at the specific case referenced by the Chair, but where a death revealed learning, the Trust initiated a formal learning response and engaged with relatives to understand their concerns and insights.

Members asked whether bereaved families were informed about how learning had been embedded and whether there was any offer of co‑production in such situations. Officers confirmed that the Trust actively involved families as part of its investigations into relevant deaths, used family liaison officers where appropriate, and sought to feed back on what had been learned and what had changed as a result.

The Committee asked why some quality priorities from the previous year had been carried forward and whether the factors that had prevented full delivery—such as workforce, digital or financial constraints—had now changed sufficiently to avoid repeated slippage. In response, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Director of Clinical Improvement explained that in a number of cases the original quality priority had broadened as the work developed. He gave the example of deterioration management, where the Trust had realised that its existing platform was not sufficiently robust and had therefore procured a new machine and new digital platform for recording and escalating deterioration. Similarly, medicines reconciliation had proved to be a much broader issue than originally anticipated, requiring improvement in interoperability between primary care, community services and hospital systems, and had now become part of a wider digital programme.

The Committee referred to examples in the report of digital innovation, including glucose monitoring work and ambient  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37/26

Julie Dandridge (Strategic Lead for Primary Care across Oxfordshire, Thames Valley Integrated Care Board) has been invited to present a report providing an update on Dentistry Services in Oxfordshire.

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

Julie Dandridge (Associate Director – Pharmacy, Optometry and Dentistry, Thames Valley ICB) and Dan Leveson (Director for Places and Communities, Thames Valley ICB) were invited to present a report on dentistry services in Oxfordshire.

The Associate Director for Pharmacy, Optometry and Dentistry advised that since the previous scrutiny session in 2024, four new dental practices had opened across Oxfordshire, including in rural areas, and that the system had replaced more activity than had been lost following contract handbacks after the pandemic period. Additional urgent care capacity had been commissioned, with practices delivering thousands of additional urgent appointments in line with national policy objectives. She also highlighted the continuation of a flexible commissioning scheme, through which a significant number of vulnerable patients had accessed dental care, and described the introduction of oral health promotion initiatives aimed at children, including early engagement in schools and nurseries.

The Committee referred to data within the report indicating that approximately 46.5 per cent of the population had seen an NHS dentist within the previous two years, compared with over 51 per cent before the pandemic. The Committee asked what trajectory the Integrated Care Board expected for recovery and what interventions would be required to close that gap. The Associate Director for Pharmacy, Optometry and Dentistry acknowledged that returning to pre‑pandemic levels would be challenging, citing changes in public behaviour, growth in private provision, and workforce constraints. The reformed dental contract, including the requirement for a proportion of appointments to be made available for urgent care, was intended to improve access and reduce the number of practices closed to new patients. She also emphasised the importance of revising recall patterns in line with NICE guidance and strengthening public understanding of when and how to access dental care.

Members expressed concern that headline utilisation statistics did not capture unmet demand, particularly from individuals who had been unable to obtain NHS appointments at all. The Associate Director confirmed that there was currently no comprehensive dataset capturing unsuccessful attempts to access care, although proxy measures included complaints, Healthwatch intelligence, and 111 service contacts. It was noted that complaints relating to dentistry had reduced significantly in recent years, although Members cautioned that this might reflect reduced expectations rather than improved access.

The Committee explored urgent dental care pathways and their integration with NHS 111. Members raised concerns about the reliance on urgent care provision and the sustainability of delivering such care predominantly through general practice. The Associate Director explained that urgent care was provided through a combination of high‑street practices, commissioned urgent care slots, and the community dental service, including some out‑of‑hours provision. However, the new contract had only recently been introduced and that it would take time to assess its impact on access patterns, including weekend demand.

Members also examined health inequalities and rural access, noting significant variation between districts, and highlighted data showing lower contract delivery rates and reduced access in areas such as Cherwell and the Vale of White Horse. In response, the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38/26

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

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) presented the Healthwatch Oxfordshire update.

The Executive Director explained that the breadth of Healthwatch activity was reflected across many of the items already considered by the Committee and emphasised that Healthwatch sought to ensure that the experiences of residents were consistently fed into system decision‑making. She confirmed that written responses had been submitted to both the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust on their respective Quality Accounts, ensuring that patient voice informed those processes.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire had undertaken Enter and View visits to mental health inpatient settings, including wards at the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, where patient experience aligned with themes discussed earlier in the meeting, particularly in relation to environments, access, and care pathways. Healthwatch Oxfordshire had also contributed to the Committee’s primary care access work, having gathered feedback from a substantial number of residents over the previous year regarding GP access and patient experience. 

The Executive Director of Healthwatch Oxfordshire then outlined recent community research activity, explaining that Healthwatch had increasingly adopted a “community researcher” model in order to reach groups that were typically under‑represented in consultation processes. She described work undertaken with members of the older Chinese community, where a community researcher conducted in‑depth interviews with Cantonese‑speaking residents. This work had highlighted persistent barriers to care, particularly around access to interpreting services, understanding of NHS systems, and navigation of care pathways. It was reported that many residents continued to rely on family members, including children, to interpret healthcare conversations, indicating a continued gap in provision of appropriate language support.

The Committee also heard about partnership work with community organisations, including engagement with African and Caribbean women’s groups to explore maternity experiences. This work built on previous engagement and had contributed to linking local community voices into wider system work, including national reviews. It was explained that further engagement events were planned to bring together community perspectives with system partners, including commissioners and providers.

The Executive Director of Healthwatch Oxfordshire highlighted the development of a community research “how‑to” guide, co‑produced with a wide range of grassroots organisations. She explained that the guide differed from traditional academic‑focused resources, as it was designed to empower communities themselves to undertake research and articulate their experiences. The Committee noted that this represented an example of practical co‑production and capacity‑building within communities.

Members also heard about Healthwatch’s rural outreach work, which had engaged extensively with residents across rural settlements using a combination of face‑to‑face engagement, focus groups and surveys. This work would feed into broader system strategies, including Marmot and population health programmes, and would provide further insight into the experiences of residents in rural areas, including access to services and transport challenges.

Members raised questions regarding the increasing use of artificial intelligence in complaints processes and its impact on provider organisations. It was responded that Healthwatch had been made aware by providers that some patients were now  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39/26

Paul Jefferies (Divisional Director-Thames Valley, South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust) and Andrew Battye (Head of Operations for Oxfordshire, South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust) have been invited to present a report providing an update on the SCAS Care Quality Commission Improvement Journey.

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

Paul Jefferies (South Central Ambulance Service [SCAS] Divisional Director for Thames Valley) and Andrew Battye (SCAS Head of Operations for Oxfordshire) were invited to present the SCAC Care Quality Commission (CQC) improvement journey update report.

The Committee enquired about the Trust’s exit from the recovery support programme in January 2026 and the removal of the 2024 undertakings by the South East Regional Support Group in April 2026. The Divisional Director for Thames Valley explained that this had followed a period of close regional oversight in which the Trust was scrutinised primarily against three core areas: workforce, operational performance, and financial position. The Trust had achieved financial break-even in the previous financial year, had a formal recovery action plan in place for improving Category 2 response times towards the 18‑minute target applicable to all ambulance services, and had embedded routine executive monitoring of operational, financial and workforce performance.

Members asked which issues identified by inspection remained most significant. The Divisional Director for Thames Valley responded that one of the main areas of ongoing work was medicines management, which had been identified by the CQC as requiring improvement in relation to storage, documentation and process reliability. He explained that the Trust had significantly developed its pharmacy team and had invested in a new site to support improved “make ready” processes and safer medicines management. He described the practical challenge of crews carrying a range of medicines in different bags, including controlled drugs, and said that the Trust was introducing a new personal issue model for morphine management in Oxfordshire, which was due to go live the following week.

The Committee revisited its earlier recommendations on internal assurance, audit and governance. The Divisional Director for Thames Valley explained that the Trust had introduced a Performance Management Accountability Framework, under which each divisional director was required to provide formal monthly assurance to the executive team through internal scrutiny arrangements. He said that for Thames Valley this covered Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire, each with sector leadership beneath him, including a Head of Operations and a Clinical Operations Manager. He explained that scrutiny included appraisal completion, personal development plans, statutory and mandatory training, and operational quality indicators such as hand hygiene, vehicle cleanliness and medicines management.

Members asked how patient and public voice influenced Board‑level challenge. The Divisional Director for Thames Valley responded that public Board meetings did include lived experience input. He gave one recent example in which a team leader had attended the Board with members of the public involved in a cardiac arrest incident where a pregnant woman had been performing CPR on her husband before ambulance crews arrived and successfully resuscitated him. He explained that such accounts, whether of care that had gone exceptionally well or of care that had raised concerns, were used to inform learning and to bring patient experience directly into governance discussions, alongside the contribution of non‑executive directors. When Healthwatch asked how the service systematically gathered and learned from patient feedback, the Divisional Director explained  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40/26

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust has been invited to present the Trust’s Annual Quality Account for the year 2025-2026.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to:

a) AGREE to provide feedback on the Trust’s Quality Account.

b) AGREE to finalise the wording of the feedback subsequent to and outside this meeting, and to submit the feedback to the Trust prior to the publication date for the Quality Account at the end of June 2026.

Rob Bale (Chief Operating Officer Mental Health and Learning Disability, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust [OH]);  Emma leaver (Chief Operating Officer Community Health Services, Dentistry & Primary Care, OH); and Angie Fletcher (Deputy Chief Nurse, OH) have been invited to present the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust quality account for the year 2025-2026.

The Committee examined the outcome of the most recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) inpatient units, conducted in November 2025. The Deputy Chief Nurse explained that the inspection had identified a number of areas for improvement, including individualised care planning, the use and documentation of restrictive practice, and aspects of medication management. Many of the issues identified related not to the care delivered itself, but to the quality and consistency of documentation, particularly the lack of recorded evidence demonstrating the extent of de‑escalation efforts undertaken by staff prior to incidents.

The Chief Operating Officer (Mental Health and Learning Disability Services) added that CAMHS inpatient provision served a much wider geography beyond Oxfordshire, including highly specialised services such as a national‑level intensive care unit for young people. He emphasised the increasing complexity and acuity of patients, noting that young people now presented with higher levels of trauma, emotional dysregulation, and neurodivergent needs than had been typical in earlier years. This complexity influenced both care delivery and the interpretation of incident data, particularly in relation to restrictive interventions.

Members examined the Trust’s progress in reducing restrictive interventions, with particular focus on seclusion and prone restraint. The Deputy Chief Nurse reported that the Trust had succeeded in improving its measurement of seclusion by introducing metrics to record duration of seclusion, rather than simply the number of incidents. This allowed the Trust to better understand the extent to which patients’ liberty was being restricted and to identify opportunities to reduce the length of seclusion episodes.

However, the Committee was advised that the Trust had not met its target for reducing prone restraint during the year. The Deputy Chief Nurse explained that this was not unexpected and reflected increasing patient complexity and risk behaviours, including incidents of self‑harm and violence, often involving a small number of highly complex patients. The Trust had established a prone restraint taskforce, with all incidents subject to rapid review at senior level to identify learning and alternative approaches. Further targeted interventions had been introduced, including enhanced training, the introduction of alternative de‑escalation equipment, and improved early identification of high‑risk patients.

The Committee examined the Trust’s priority relating to integration of physical and mental health care, particularly in light of evidence suggesting under‑recording of physical health conditions among mental health patients. The Chief Operating Officer (Mental Health and Learning Disability Services) acknowledged that data quality challenges existed and that diagnosis coding was not always complete or consistent across systems. He emphasised that people with severe mental illness experienced significantly poorer physical health outcomes and reduced life expectancy compared to the general population, and that addressing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41/26

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

The Committee AGREED to the items on the work plan for September, and that the November meeting should include items on Neighbourhood Health, Medicines Management, and Epilepsy Services.

The Committee also AGREED to DELEGATE to the Chair and Health Scrutiny Officer to make any necessary 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 progress made against agreed actions and recommendations.