Waltham Forest Council is currently involved in one of the largest ever Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committees (JOSC). This is to respond to consultation on the 'Healthcare for London' review and involves all of the London boroughs and some of the counties that border London.

Hillingdon's representative on the Committee has been elected as the Chairman of the JOSC. Cllr Barrie Taylor (from Westminster Council) and Cllr Meral Ece (LB Islington) are the two Vice-Chairs of the JOSC.

What is being consulted on?

In December 2006, NHS London (the Strategic Health Authority for London) asked Professor Lord Darzi to develop a strategy to meet Londoners' health needs over the next five to ten years.

The review proposes a series of potential changes to the way health services are provided in London. These are based on five principles:

  • Services should be focused on individual needs and choices
  • Services should be localised where possible, or regionalised where that improves the quality of care
  • There should be joined-up care and partnership working, maximising the contribution of the entire workforce
  • Prevention is better than cure
  • There must be a focus on reducing differences in health and healthcare services across London

If implemented, these principles could lead to health services being provided in different locations and different ways to now.

  • There could be centralisation and networks for major trauma, heart attack and stroke care
  • Routine diagnostics and outpatients could be shifted out of large hospitals and into new polyclinics
  • Increased use should be made of the day case setting for many procedures
  • More specialised in-patient care should be centralised into large hospitals

What is not being consulted on?

The JOSC is not examining the future of specific hospitals, or the future location of health services.

Where can I see the Final Report of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JOSC)?

The final report is available on the Hillingdon Council website. Click on the link below to view the full report.

» Final report of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JOSC) to review 'Healthcare for London', April 2008

Further information – including the 'Healthcare for London' review, consultation document, and details of how to feed in your views – are available on the Healthcare for London website