Invite to step forward and help shape health plans

Volunteers are being urged to step forward to help Shropshire communities continue to have their say on plans to improve the health of people in the county. 

Shropshire Together is inviting people to lead sessions to discuss what is important in: 

• improving emotional and mental health and well-being
• helping people make choices about their own and their family’s health and well-being
• supporting people with long-term conditions and older people to remain independent
• ensuring health, social care and well-being services are easy to access, good quality and joined up
• reducing inequalities in health. 

Shropshire Together (formerly called the Shropshire Partnership) includes Shropshire Council, Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), police, fire, health services, voluntary and community groups and local businesses. 

People who take up the invite will be given training to hold focus groups for their community, whether this is geographical community, such as a county town, or a group which is brought together through shared interests. 

The discussions will allow communities to consider the importance of the Shropshire Health and Well-being Strategy priorities to them, and identify other key health and well-being issues.  This information will help Shropshire Health and Well-being Board to deliver the strategy at a local level, and shape the review of the strategy later in the year.  It will also inform the commissioning plans of both the Shropshire CCG and Shropshire Council*. 

The strategy has been developed by the Health and Well-being Board, a partnership between Shropshire Council and the Shropshire CCG.  The priorities aim to enhance the health and well-being of people in the county, looking at how resources can be targeted where they will have the greatest impact. 

Wide-ranging consultation took place on the strategy which contains priorities and actions for 2013/14.  This version of the strategy has been approved by the board, and went to Shropshire Council’s Cabinet for its endorsement on 20 February 2013. 

The training sessions for holding community focus groups will be held at Shirehall in Shrewsbury on Tuesday 5 March 2013, from 2pm to 4pm, and on Thursday 7 March 2013, from 6pm to 8pm, with a view to the focus groups taking place between March and May.    

Ann Hartley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for health and well-being, said:

“Shropshire’s Health and Well-being Strategy provides a major opportunity to fundamentally change how services that impact on health and well-being are delivered. 

“It is important that our communities are at the heart of this work.  They have helped us to develop the priorities for 2013/14 and we have to keep looking ahead to the future, ensuring that the strategy evolves and responds to what people want and need from health and social care.” 

Keith Barrow, Leader Shropshire Council’s Leader, and chair of the Shropshire Shadow Health and Well-being Board, said:

“We cannot develop and deliver the strategy alone, and need to work together. 

“We would urge people to step forward to lead focus groups, and in turn, help us to improve health and well-being, and reduce inequalities in health.” 

Dr Caron Morton, Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group’s accountable officer, added:

“We are committed to engaging with local patients and communities to ensure that our services are appropriate and meet people’s needs.  By listening to your suggestions and experiences of health services, it will help us to prioritise our work and look for new innovations. 

“We want to collect comments and suggestions from across Shropshire, to gain a real insight from local communities, and would encourage people to come forward and start these conversations in your area.” 

Anyone interested in holding a focus group is asked to email the date they would like to attend the training workshop to Karen Higgins at karen.higgins@shropshirepct.nhs.uk or call 01743 277593.  Please book as early as possible. 

Further information  

As part of the Government’s reforms of the NHS, health and well-being boards are being established within council areas.  Shropshire Shadow Health and Well-being Board’s role is to oversee how local NHS and social care budgets are spent.  The board has been operating in shadow form until it takes on its statutory role in April 2013. 

*Another part of the health reforms is the establishment of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to commission (buy) local NHS services.  The CCGs currently hold delegated responsibility for the commissioning of all services which will formally transfer to them on 1 April 2013.  The role of the CCG therefore includes the designing and buying of the vast majority of local health services, including hospital services, community services, such as district nursing and health visiting, and mental health services. 

For further details on Shropshire CCG visit www.shropshire.nhs.uk/ccg. 

The responsibility for public health in Shropshire will also move from Shropshire County Primary Care Trust and other NHS trusts to Shropshire Council from April 2013.  For more information on the changes to public health go to shropshire.gov.uk/publichealth.