Havering Council has approved a new health and social care fund aimed at helping residents remain independent for longer and improving overall well-being. The Better Care Fund (BCF) for 2026-27 will total £40.9 million, with contributions from both the council and NHS North East London Integrated Care Board (ICB).
The Section 75 agreement, which formalises the partnership between the council and the ICB, was approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. This agreement establishes the legal framework for joint commissioning and funding of health and social care services. The total fund of £40,925,371 is broken down as follows: £2,643,774 from the Disabled Facilities Grant, £28,988,164 as the NHS Minimum Contribution, £8,419,703 as the Local Authority Better Care Grant, and an additional £873,730 from the Local Authority.
Councillor Graham Day, Cabinet Member for Adults and Health Care, highlighted the BCF's role in supporting key priorities such as hospital discharge, re-enablement, domiciliary care, and assistive technology. He noted the importance of this funding in light of a recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) report that rated the council's services as needing improvement.
The BCF aims to help residents stay independent in their homes for longer, improve health outcomes, and reduce pressure on hospitals. Key objectives include fostering collaboration between local authority and ICB teams, shifting focus from sickness to prevention, and ensuring timely hospital discharges. Specific initiatives include the provision of assistive technology equipment, such as smoke detectors, fall detectors, and bed/chair sensors, with an annual budget of £350,000 for this scheme. The fund will also support various services for carers and prevention, reablement services, contributions to supported accommodation schemes, and the delivery of Havering's Better Living Approach. Furthermore, it will fund direct payments, respite placements, nursing care home placements, supported living placements, and domiciliary care packages, all with a focus on supporting hospital discharge.
The collaboration between Havering Council and NHS North East London ICB will be structured through the Section 75 agreement, with governance and accountability managed through established partnership boards. The effectiveness of the BCF will be measured against four key metrics: non-elective admissions to hospital for people aged 65 and over per 100,000 population, average length of discharge delay for all acute adult patients, long-term admissions to residential and nursing care homes for people over 65 per 100,000 population, and the proportion of people aged 65 and over who were discharged from hospital into reablement and remained in the community in the 12 weeks following discharge. The BCF also aims for effective joint governance, reporting, and oversight through the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Havering Finance & Performance Group.
The BCF is projected to reduce pressure on hospitals by improving timely and effective discharge from hospital settings. Councillor Graham Day emphasised the need for greater integration between the council and Queen's Hospital to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions, noting the hospital's significant daily losses. The fund's focus on prevention, re-enablement, and community-based support is intended to reduce the need for hospital attendance and facilitate smoother patient flow.
Councillor Day acknowledged the complexity of the BCF process due to multiple bodies involved, stating, We are going to try and get enablement a very high priority.
He also discussed the critical financial state of Queen's Hospital and the need for greater integration. Councillor Sue Benjamins added that the BCF is a fixed sum of money focused on prevention, which can lead to better outcomes and lower costs. Councillor Goode expressed skepticism about the projected savings, indicating a challenge in believing the anticipated financial benefits. Councillor Day also mentioned the issue of services not being 'parallel' and his aim to prevent falls in elderly residents, citing a successful initiative in Ireland. The report also notes that the BCF aims to 'Remove organisational barriers, promoting seamless care between health, social care, housing, and wider services' and 'Implement a new model of care tailored to rising demand, demographic pressures, and financial constraints.'
For more details on the agreement, refer to the Public reports pack and the Agenda frontsheet.
