Help us to plan healthy future

09/08/05

Local health bosses are pledging to involve patients, carers and members of the public as they develop wide-ranging plans for better healthcare in the early 21st century.

Since February this year, Cotswold and Vale Primary Care Trust (PCT), which manages health services for 190,000 patients, has already engaged patients and the public from Fairford and Lechlade in planning for future health services.

The Trust will now extend this to the wider PCT area, in a three-month public engagement exercise that will encourage people to share their views on how local healthcare should develop over the coming years.

"We face a number of big challenges and some important changes as we seek to provide the excellent quality of healthcare our patients deserve," says Richard James, chief executive of Cotswold and Vale PCT.

"We will, of course, continue to secure all the necessary services from our network of surrounding major hospitals but we would like to see more of those services - for example, outpatients clinics - delivered locally.

"We estimate that people living in Cotswold and Vale currently drive three million miles a year for outpatient appointments in Gloucester or Cheltenham. We think many of them could receive treatment locally - at one of our community hospitals.

"In addition, the way in which the NHS works is changing. From the end of this year, patients will have the choice of where to go for planned operations, and GPs will have greater powers to make decisions on how their patients are treated.

"This will have profound effects not least for older people. Our population tends to be older, and the number of over 65s, particularly in the Cotswolds, is growing. We want to make sure they can live independently in their own homes with the health and social care support they need."

Starting in October, the Trust will be encouraging patients, public and NHS staff to join the discussion on future local health care, across the PCT area. Running parallel to this will be a three-month period of public consultation around the future of Fairford Hospital. This will start in mid-September.

Among the challenges to be debated across the PCT are:

. how to provide routine health care as close to home as possible and reduce the distance patients need to travel

. how to develop a new and greater role for the Trust's community hospitals, so that patients can go to their local hospital for routine outpatient appointments, diagnostic tests and day case treatments

. and how to help people recover from hospital treatment, get home and resume independent living more quickly

"We want to get patients better quicker and keep them fitter for longer. We want people to be able to live independently in their own homes. We want to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, and have the right support in place so that those who do have to be admitted to hospital can return home as quickly as possible," says Mr James.

"Many of our patients, carers and staff have already told us they want more services closer to where people live and this is something the Department of Health is strongly encouraging." he adds.

In Fairford, the priority is to ensure that the hospital has a viable future and serves a greater number of patients from its local community. This could mean introducing more outpatient appointments and diagnostic services, and is also likely to mean change in inpatient provision.

"We know how valued Fairford Hospital is by its local community, including GPs and the staff who work there," said Mr James. "However, health needs are changing and, if we're to ensure a vibrant future for the hospital, we need to make sure that its services benefit a wider section of the community, and offer value for money.

"We have shared a number of early options with local staff and GPs, who are considering these options and other alternatives. From mid-September we will be inviting anyone who is interested in having their say on the future for the hospital to get involved in the public consultation."

During September the PCT will be unveiling a range of ways in which people can get involved in the great health debate. Anyone interested in finding out more or registering an interest in getting involved can contact Joanna Wynn on 01285 884694, email Joanna.wynn@glos.nhs.uk.