The Lewisham Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board brings together senior stakeholders and local representatives to strategically plan how best to deliver improved health outcomes for people in Lewisham and how to reduce health inequalities within and amongst Lewisham’s communities. 

Underpinning the work of the Board is the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), which provides the framework for considering all the factors that affect the health and wellbeing of people in Lewisham, including employment, education, housing and environment.

The Board is an informal partnership.  Lewisham’s will develop a statutory Health and Wellbeing Board, subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill through Parliament.

Background and Context

The White Paper ‘Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS’ was published in July 2010 and proposed ambitious reforms for the NHS, including the establishment of Health and Wellbeing Boards.

Subject to parliamentary approval, Health and Wellbeing boards will become the statutory bodies overseeing the improvement of health partnership working and joint commissioning by April 2013.

The Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board (The Board) will manage transitional arrangements to become a statutory body in 2013. Terms of Reference will be reviewed as necessary to meet changing legislation.

The Board will consider all issues related to the provision of health and social care services, public health matters and tackling health inequalities for both adults and children in Lewisham.

The Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board will advise on work to improve the health and wellbeing of Lewisham residents through the development of improved and integrated health and social care services.

The Board will develop a model for an established Health and Wellbeing Board in preparation for the expected new legislation. The Board will also take account of the response to the consultation on the White Paper ‘Liberating the NHS: Legislative framework and next steps’ and of the public health strategy for England, ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People’. 

In line with expected responsibilities, the Board will:

1. Assess the health and social care needs of the local population through the commissioning and development of needs assessments as required.
2. Lead the publication and maintenance of the Lewisham Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.
3. Promote integration and partnership across areas, including promoting joined-up commissioning plans across the NHS, Social Care and Public Health.
4. Support the development of Lewisham’s Pathfinder GP Consortia.
5. Support joint commissioning, and pooled arrangements where all parties agree this makes sense.
6. Lead development of a joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
7. Oversee the promotion of good public and user involvement and the establishment of HealthWatch by April 2012.
8. Consider and promote engagement from wider stakeholders.
9. Develop working links with boards existing within the current democratic structure. 

The Board shall meet four times in each financial year.

Meetings of the Board shall be conducted in public unless an item of a confidential nature is being discussed.

The quorum for meetings shall be 50% of its membership.