What IS Wrong With Our Local Health Service?

The NHS Aylesbury Vale Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Chiltern Clinical Commissioning Group (CCGs) are calling on local people to get involved and help shape primary care services in Buckinghamshire.

The public's views will be valuable in informing a re-think of how those services are delivered. These services include GPs (and GP out of hours), high street pharmacies and community services across Buckinghamshire.  

This is part of a wider move to give clinical commissioning groups across the country new responsibilities for commissioning primary care services, with the aim of making these services more effective and improve patient care.

Local people, patients and carers will have the opportunity of sharing their views on ways to improve primary care services in Buckinghamshire during two months of consultation (which closes on Friday 28 November 2014).

This includes a survey on the new online engagement site Let's Talk Health and through a series of public meetings.

The feedback gathered from the survey and meetings will be used to shape a strategy for primary care for the next five years in Buckinghamshire.

Dr Chris North, Primary Care Transformation Lead at Chiltern CCG, said:

"We need to redesign services provided outside of the hospital system in Buckinghamshire to help meet the changing demands and needs of patients, their families and carers. We are involving a wide range of people to gather a broad range of views and experience to guide us in shaping these services so that they are fit for the future.

There has been much discussion nationally about improving GP services for patients, such as any need for seven-day health care and greater use of technology including online appointment booking. We want to take this one step further in Buckinghamshire and develop GP services that offer patients first-class care that is sustainable and can address the changing needs of patients."

Dr Malcolm Jones, Executive Lead for South Locality at Aylesbury Vale CCG said:

"Effective and high quality primary care is a priority for us. It is essential for people to be able to live well at home and, when it is in their best interest, to avoid admission to hospital.  It is also important to enable more services to be delivered out of hospital, particularly for the frail elderly and people with multiple long term conditions. By redesigning primary care we will be able to meet these challenges."

The survey is currently available here: https://www.letstalkhealthbucks.nhs.uk

To take part, you need to register on the site and subscribe to the consultation - this will only take a few minutes. You can also email views and opinions to letstalkhealth.bucks@nhs.net

Both CCGs will be holding a series of public meetings to explain this new approach to commissioning primary care and to gather views from the public about how this can be achieved.

• Thursday 6 Nov - Princes Risborough Baptist Church, in the top hall, 42 Bell Street, Princes Risborough, HP27 0AD (between 3-5pm and 6-8pm)     
• Wednesday 12 Nov - St Teresa's Presbytery, Beaconsfield HP9 2PL (1pm-2.30pm)
• Thursday 13 Nov - British Legion, Amersham HP6 6AL (1pm-2.30pm)
• Wednesday 19 Nov - Burnham Park, Burnham SL1 7HR (1pm-2.30pm)
• Thursday 20 Nov - Sivatech, Gatehouse Close, Aylesbury, HP19 8DJ (between 3-5pm and 6-8pm)
• Wednesday 26 Nov - Buckingham Community Centre, in the large hall, Cornwalls Meadow, Buckingham, MK18 1RP (6.30-8.30pm)
• Wednesday 26 Nov - The King's Centre, High Wycombe, HP11 2PU (1pm-2.30pm)