Wandsworth's Health and Wellbeing Board was unable to make any formal decisions at its meeting on Thursday, 17 September 2026, due to a lack of quorum. The meeting proceeded informally to discuss key strategic priorities, including the development of neighbourhood health services and updates on the Age Well strategy.
The board, which includes Councillor Daniel Ghossain (Chair), Councillor George Crivelli, Councillor Stephen Worrall, Dr Aryan Jogia, Dr Caroline Scott, Dr Waqaar Shah, Mark Creelman, Mike Procter, Ana Popovici, Ian Dodds, Jeremy DeSouza, Shannon Katiyo, Aurnela Madede, Stephen Hickey, Vivienne Rush, Philip Murray, Kate Slemeck, and Robert Guile, discussed the crucial aim of improving how local health and care services work together around residents and communities. The initiative focuses on providing earlier help, reducing service gaps, and supporting residents to remain independent. Early priorities within this include frailty and ageing well, prevention, mental health and wellbeing, children and young people, and maximising independence.
An update on the development of neighbourhood health services highlighted a focus on integrated care closer to residents' homes. The initiative has received £1.3 million in funding from the Integrated Care Board (ICB) to support various projects aimed at improving care for the frail population. These projects include proactive care, a virtual ward designed to prevent hospital admissions and facilitate earlier discharge, urgent responses to provide home care when hospitalisation is a risk, and discharge support to ensure patient safety upon release.
Updates on the Age Well strategy focused on falls prevention, dementia, and social isolation. Positive progress was reported in all three areas, with strengthened partnerships and improved reach of preventative services. The meeting also included a review of the annual reports of the Safeguarding Adults Board and Healthwatch Wandsworth, which provided assurance on safeguarding arrangements and highlighted Healthwatch's role as an independent champion for local voices in health and social care.
The ICB will become a strategic commissioner and hand across a population budget for the alliance to ensure it is meeting certain criteria and metrics. A 'dashboard of neighbourhood health' is in development, which will include achievements such as a reduction in non-elective admissions, re-admissions around discharge, and a reduction in falls. However, specific criteria or metrics are not fully detailed.
The meeting concluded with a review of the board's work programme, with an invitation for members to suggest topics for future seminars. The full details of the meeting can be found in the Public reports pack and the Agenda frontsheet.
