Health Priorities to be influenced by Staffordshire residents

Published by Helen Berwick for HCL Marketing Communications in Health and also in Communities, Education

Residents across the district of South Staffordshire are being invited to have their say on how money should be spent on local health services.

A postal questionnaire has been sent to a random sample of 4,500 households to find out which services people feel should receive investment in the future.

South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust’s (PCTs) Seisdon Peninsula Locality Commissioning Group, which has commissioned the questionnaire, is keen to hear the views of residents across Kinver, Wombourne, Codsall, Bilbrook, Claverley, Perton and Pattingham, to ensure that resources are allocated to the services that people feel are most important.

It also wants to make sure that any investment made continues to provide value for money and is able to make a real difference to the quality of patients’ lives.

Residents taking part in the questionnaire will be asked to identify three services they would like to see prioritised from a number of services that have been suggested by doctors in the area.

These include services such as social and practical support for isolated older people, children’s health and wellbeing, mental health services and support for carers and their families.

There is also the opportunity for people to make their own suggestions and to comment on some general principles of how decisions around local health services should be made.
 

Practice-based Commissioning Lead, South Staffordshire PCT, Liz McCourt said: “Deciding where local health budgets should be spent has always been a challenge for the NHS and never more so than in the current economic climate.

“But we want to make sure that any investment we are able to make is on the services that local residents feel will be of greatest benefit.”

The PCT Seisdon Peninsula Locality Commissioning Group is keen to engage with patients whenever it is planning, developing or delivering new services and is in the process of establishing patient forums across the area.

If anyone would like more information or would like to take part in the groups, please contact Adele Edmondson on 01543 509775 or email adele.edmondson@southstaffspct.nhs.uk.