The Dorset Health & Wellbeing Board met on 18 March 2026, with a strong focus on prevention, system intelligence and strengthening place‑based partnership across Dorset. The meeting covered performance, strategic development and emerging insights that will shape local health and wellbeing priorities over the coming year.
The Better Care Fund remains financially stable, with 73% of the £156.1m plan spent by Q3. Dorset is on track for two of the three national BCF metrics, but discharge delays remain off‑track, with only 85–87% of people discharged on the day they are medically ready. Rising complexity, assessment delays and gaps in Discharge to Assess capacity continue to affect flow. Work is underway through the Future Care Programme, including strengthened MDTs, daily discharge targets and longer‑term commissioning conversations.
The Board reviewed development of the new outcomes‑based Health & Wellbeing Strategy, due for completion in September 2026. Early feedback from councillors and stakeholders emphasised the need for a clear outcomes framework, shared language, authentic community voice, and a stronger definition of prevention. Programmes likely to be in scope include Best Start in Life, Future Care, Neighbourhood Teams, Day Opportunities, Family Hubs, Thriving Communities and Age Friendly Dorset.
Health literacy continues to emerge as a major system enabler. An estimated 35% of Dorset adults and 36% of BCP adults aged 16–65 have low health literacy. More than 400 people have now been trained locally, including 52 champions, with strong evidence of improved confidence and communication skills. A system‑wide workshop later this month will explore how to scale up organisational health literacy across Dorset and BCP.
The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment is becoming more strategic and more useful for VCSE evidence. The Board approved a forward plan focused on healthy life expectancy, work and health, prevention across the life course, and community voice. The annual narrative update highlights key demographic trends, including population growth, rising numbers of older residents, and the scale of unpaid care. JSNA outputs continue to be published for wider use, including by VCSE organisations preparing bids and business cases.
Overall, the Board’s direction of travel is clear: a prevention‑led, intelligence‑driven and neighbourhood‑focused model for Dorset, with strong opportunities for VCSE leadership.
Full snapshot notes and public board papers are now available and can be viewed here.