Agenda and minutes

There were no Declarations of Interest.

The minutes of the meeting held on 17^th December 2025 were agreed and signed as a true record.

There were no matters arising.

Further to Minute 25 – UHCW Performance, the Board noted a Briefing Note which included recommendations was sent to the Cabinet Member for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing.

Briefing Note of the Chief Integration Officer, Coventry & Warwickshire ICB and the Director of Public Health & Wellbeing, Coventry City Council

The Board received a Briefing note and verbal presentation of the Chief Integration Officer, Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the Director of Public Health and Wellbeing, Coventry City Council, which provided an update on the current state, performance and strategic direction of dental services in Coventry and Warwickshire. It outlined the types and distribution of dental services, highlighted strong contract performance and recovery to pre-pandemic activity levels, and detailed recent initiatives such as increased urgent care appointments, incentive schemes for urgent dental care, targeted investments to address inequalities, and workforce support measures.

Dental health surveys had been carried out in the UK since 1968.  Every 2 years an Adult Oral Survey was carried out in England.  The latest survey was carried out in 2023 and was published in December 2025.  The survey was carried out in addition to the Child Dental Health Survey and ad hock surveys such as oral health in care homes.  The survey used a representative sample of adults in England aged 16 and over and used a questionnaire and oral examination in the participant’s own home to evaluate their oral health.  The examination included condition of teeth, condition of root surfaces, erosion of teeth, signs of decay, enamel defects, signs of gum disease and type and condition of any dentures.

The findings were as follows:

• Over 21% of adults had at least one tooth with obvious decay.
• A total of 93% of dentate adults had one or more signs of gum disease.
• 7% of dentate adults were experiencing current dental problems including pain, which was more likely in people that last visited the dentist more than 5 years ago.  Nearly 21% of adults had one or more potentially urgent conditions
• 51% of the respondents reported that the usual reason for dentist attendance was for a check-up and almost 65% of adults reported going to the dentist at least once in a 2 year period.
• 35% of adults reported going to the dentist less frequently or only when they had problems with teeth or dentures.  This had increased in recent years.
• The most common reasons for infrequent attendance were:
• Being unable to find a dentist (40%)
• Unable to afford the charges (31%)
• Not perceiving a need to do so (27%)

Health inequalities impact

Dental access in Coventry was uneven, with areas like Central and East facing the greatest deprivation and highest rates of dental disease. Targeted investments and programs were being directed to these priority areas to improve access and reduce oral health inequalities.

The planned reforms to the NHS dental contract were expected to further reduce barriers to care, improve workforce retention and ultimately help decrease oral health inequalities.  Despite strong overall performance, the Coventry & Warwickshire ICB acknowledged that further work was needed to address and reduce inequalities in access to dental services.

From the Adult Oral Health Survey, the number of people with 21 or more natural teeth was lower among those who were older, had lower household incomes and lived in more deprived  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

Briefing Note of the Director of Care, Health & Housing

The Board received a Briefing Note and presentation providing an update of Coventry’s development of a 5 year Carers Strategy (2026-2031) and Carers Action Plan progress, which aims to improve support for over 27,000 local carers by focusing on co-production with carers and stakeholders, broad engagement – especially with underrepresented groups – and sustainable services, building on recent achievements and ensuring statutory duties are met as some funding ends in 2026, with the overall goal of improving outcomes for carers and those they support.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Councillor L Bigham, in thanking officers for the strategy, congratulated the Adult Social Care teams on their enthusiasm and determination, in particular by providing as much support to carers as possible.  Councillor Bigham also welcomed advancements in technology which allowed isolated carers to get online and belong to a carers network.

The Deputy Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Councillor D Toulson welcomed the Strategy and the support provided for carers across the city.

Members of the Board, having considered the Briefing Note and presentation, asked questions and received information from officers on the following matters:

• The importance of carers voice being essential for ensuring unpaid carers felt valued.
• Adopting a ‘soft approach’ to caring responsibilities involving language that emphasises human connection.
• Engaging with partners for the early identification of unpaid carers, who often do not recognise themselves as such.
• The importance of influencing all partners to support carers before they reach carer breakdown.
• Support mechanisms for carers in newly arrived communities.
• Ward based engagement with people who don’t realise they are carers.

The Board requested the following information:

• Inclusion and impact of carer voice and case studies when the Carers Strategy returns to SB5.
• Ward Councillors to be utilised to communicate the Carers Strategy.
• Officers to work with certain communities in Coventry to focus on the description of a carer to ensure caring responsibility support.

RESOLVED that the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5):

1.  Endorse the engagement and delivery plan to inform a new Carers Strategy 2026-2031

2.  Provide any feedback as part of the development of the new Carers Strategy that is currently being developed. 

Report of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator

RESOLVED that the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5):

1)  The Work Programme 2025/26 was noted with the amendments below:

·  Healthwatch Annual Report – February 2026 meeting.

·  Emergency Services Partnerships relating to Health – Ambulance Service/Fire Service/Police – March 2026 meeting.

Any other items of public business which the Chair decides to take as matters of urgency because of the special circumstances involved

There were no other items of public business.