Councillor questions City of London's health links with Hackney, suggests Tower Hamlets alternative for deprived residents
Councillor Christopher Paul Boden has questioned the City of London's health service links with Hackney, suggesting a potential shift to Tower Hamlets could better serve deprived residents.
During a City of London Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee meeting, Councillor Boden raised concerns that the current health service arrangements, which primarily link the City with Hackney, do not adequately reflect the needs of the most deprived residents in Port Soken Ward. These residents are registered with GPs in Tower Hamlets, a borough Boden suggested is more accessible for those with the greatest health needs. The meeting information highlights that residents in Port Soken Ward registered with Tower Hamlets GPs are among the most deprived and experience the greatest health deprivation compared to other areas.
Discussions around the City and Hackney Winter Plan highlighted the need for an integrated, place-based response to anticipated pressures across urgent care, acute flow, discharge, mental health, and primary care. However, Councillor Boden argued that the plan did not sufficiently address the needs of deprived residents registered with GPs outside the City's immediate administrative area. The current process for these residents involves being registered with GPs in Tower Hamlets, with boundary issues
identified as a long-standing challenge. Councillor Boden questioned whether the City should continue to be linked with Hackney for health services or consider a link with Tower Hamlets due to greater accessibility for those in Port Soken Ward.
Nina Griffith, Director of Integration for the City and Hackney Place Based Partnership, acknowledged the boundary issues and stated that the new governance structure aimed to give the City a stronger voice in how NHS budgets are spent. She noted that boundary issues had been a long-standing problem and that the new approach would focus on health promotion and community activation, which would include these residents. Griffith further explained that the new governance structure could lead to a new Integrated Health Organisation (IHO) contract, potentially giving the Place more autonomy over the NHS budget. If an IHO contract is secured by a local NHS provider, the City would be a partner with an equal say in how that budget is spent on behalf of City residents, providing influence over more accessible, community-based services.
Overall, the meeting underscored ongoing discussions about the most effective geographical and administrative arrangements for delivering health and social care services to the City of London's residents, particularly those facing health inequalities. The Public reports pack for the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee meeting on 15th October 2026 provides further details on these discussions. Public reports pack