Agenda

Members are asked to declare any interests they may have in the business on the agenda.

The minutes of the meeting held on 23^rd February 2026 have been circulated and the Committee is asked to confirm them as a correct record.

The Chair is invited to make any announcements as they see fit.

Cllr Sharon Butcher submits.  the below petition for information only to Scrutiny Committee Members. The petition will need to be submitted to the ICB for review. Please send to this team and they will be in touch on behalf of ICB board llricb-llr.enquiries@nhs.net

The people of Melton Mowbray are fed up of being overlooked in terms of essential healthcare services.

• We are fed up of the 8am dash to get urgent GP access which is tricky for our more vulnerable and elderly residents to navigate, and leaves those who are successful feeling more like they’ve won the lottery against all odds, than simply accessed the NHS services they fund through their taxes.
• We are fed up of being told by receptionists that they are at capacity  for the day and we should go to the walk in centre at Loughborough instead. This is simply not an option for many. And why we can’t have our own fit for purpose walk in centre is another discussion.
• We are fed up of waiting months - not days or weeks - at a time for routine appointments and the continual changes to our named GP, meaning those with complex needs are repeatedly having to retell their stories and crossing their fingers the new doctor will understand.
• And recently, local women have been not just fed up but deeply alarmed by being told there are “no cervical smear test appointments currently available in Melton”. If Latham House cannot reliably deliver this important screening programme for women’s health, surely there is a problem.

As these experiences show, the urgent need for a second GP practice cannot be overstated. As a town, we deserve better. We deserve robust healthcare infrastructure that meets our growing needs. GP services also play a vital role in protecting our NHS as fewer patients present to hospital if they can be seen more quickly in the community. This should be something the ICB support. You stated latham house would provide more oppoitments, this does not seem the case were patients are concerned.

The current healthcare facilities are clearly struggling to meet the demand, leading to long waiting times and reduced access to timely medical care. Many residents have expressed frustration and worry over the ability to see a general practitioner when needed. 3,080  of them have signed this petition, patients and families with concerns.

I therefore present this petition here today, formally urging the ICB to reconsider their decision and commit again to the immediate establishment of a second GP practice. Or, at the very least, to restart their previous exploration of the matter. No more excuses. It is time for the ICB to recognise the pressing healthcare needs of Melton Mowbray and for once, listen to the views of our community.

Cllr Ramsey Ross submitted the following questions to the Scrutiny Committee:

1.     LRI-A&E

What progress has been made on the issues of Staffing and Alternative Provision of Services and what further steps are envisaged for 2026:

Staffing:

·       What reduction has there been in the number of agency and bank nursing staff between January 2024 and December 2025?

·       What increase has there been in the number of consultant, middle and junior level medical staff between January 2024 and December 2025

·       Staff sickness rates – what reduction has been achieved since 2024?

2.     Alternative Provision, Utilisation and the Management of Flows:

·       The use of NHS111 – Market Harborough and Rutland MH  Urgent Care Clinics now require appointments, with no walk in provision (and the Corby Health Centre proposes to introduce similar measures).

·       Is this approach to patient access consistent with addressing the CQC findings highlighting those LRI-A&E patients who either could not gain access to, or had not attempted to get a GP appointment or Out-of-Hours clinical appointment?

·       Has the utilisation of facilities, such as the Merlyn Vaz Centre, increased since January 2024?

·       What steps have been taken to address the level of demand for mental health provision?

3.     The Role of Councils: The CQC noted that demand in A&E was higher than planned due to the increased length of stay for patients who could not be transferred to other hospital Depts, in part due to discharge rates (bed-blocking). It further noted that discharge rates were impacted by problems with provision of community care, support for people living with deprivation, and homelessness.

·       Is the ICB content with those steps that have been taken by Councils since 2024 to address patient discharge issues and what further steps are required in 2026?

4.     Ambulance Waiting Times and Utilisation of Services: East Midlands service response times have worsened in the period from August to October 2025, having been stable earlier in the year. What are the top three reasons for the recent change in service provision to December 2025?

·       Out of Area Patient Discharge - the CQC noted the under-utilisation of the independent provider of patient transport services. Has this been addressed?

5.     NHS Dentistry Provision Crises

In December 2024 there were c. 8000 foreign qualified dentists on the waiting list to take the two-part General Dental Council (GDC) overseas registration exam. In 2025 there were 350, or 4% of such dentists, who took the GDC exams. What specific written representations has the LLR-ICB made over the past 2 years, concerning the rapid accreditation of these dentists?

Cllr Haq submitted the following questions:

1.     Please could we have an update on the creation of a Maggie’s Cancer Centre in Leicester, why is this taking so long ?

2.     Why are the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland losing out on the world leading Cancer treatment and Support?

The Chief Nursing Officer for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and

Northamptonshire Integrated Care Boards submits a report to update the

commission on the decision?making process which was followed in relation to the implementation of the agreed relocation of births from St Mary’s Birth Centre.

LLR-NICB-Board-meeting-in-common-PUBLIC-papers-19-March-2026.pdf

The Leicester Partnership Trust (LPT) submits a report to the Committee to provide information about Speech and Language Therapy Services in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Members are invited to ask any questions that are not covered elsewhere on the agenda.

Members will be asked to note the work programme and consider any future items for inclusion