People living in the Black Country are being invited to share their views on the future of primary care.
The NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) is working with GPs and health leaders across the Black Country on a programme of work to transform and improve primary care over the next five years.
Primary care includes general practice, community pharmacy, dental and optometry services. These services are often the first places people go to for help with their health.
A five-year strategy has been developed, setting out the ambition for how primary care services can be transformed. It has identified new ways of working which will help reduce pressures, make general practice more sustainable and improve the experiences of patients and staff alike. It will focus on delivering better unplanned, planned and preventive care which will lead to healthier lifestyles and improved outcomes for people across the Black Country.
People in the Black Country are being given the chance to share their views on areas in the strategy, as well as their own experiences and ideas to help transform primary care. The public conversation is now open and will close on Tuesday 20 September. Local people can have their say in a number of ways, including:
• filling in a survey available on the NHS Black Country ICB website
• by calling 0121 612 1447 to receive help filling in the survey
• by speaking to your local Healthwatch(local contact details can be found here).
A number of People Panel meetings will also be taking place throughout September, where people can speak to primary care staff from the NHS Black Country ICB and get help filling out the survey. They will take place at the following locations:
• Sandwell – Wednesday 11 September, Jubilee Park Community Centre, Glebefields Estate, DY4 0RJ, 5pm-7.30pm
• Dudley – Monday 16 September, Brierley Hill Methodist Church, Bank Street, DY5 3DA, 10.30am-1.30pm
• Wolverhampton – Wednesday 18 September, Graiseley Family Hub, Pool Street WV2 4NE, 5pm-7.30pm
• Walsall – date to be confirmed.
To sign up for a People Panel please visit the NHS Black Country ICB events page.
Dr Mona Sidhu, Medical Director of Primary Care for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board, said: “Primary care plays a central role in our communities, offering care, support and guidance to people at all stages of life. However, we know that primary care needs to improve to make it work better for us all.
“The traditional way of providing and accessing primary care is not able to manage the increasing number of requests for care. By transforming our approach, we can create a more joined up, efficient and effective primary care system that meets the needs of our people and communities.
“That’s why we would like to hear what is important to local people who use primary care services and those working in them, to show why change may be needed and what it should like. This will help us in implementing the strategy, so that together with GPs and health leaders, we can start to improve things further to shape the future of health and social care in response to local needs.”
Dr Ryan Hobson, local GP and Chair of the Black Country Primary Care Collaborative, said: “Primary care is at the heart of the NHS and vital to its functioning. For most people, it is the first and usual way they access healthcare. However, as we all know, it is struggling to meet demand at the moment. Society, and the way it uses the NHS, has changed and so the way we deliver primary care also needs to change.
“Over the last six months those working in primary care have joined health leaders and commissioners to develop a blueprint for improvement. We are excited to now share this work and begin the process of transformation.
“A fundamental aspect of this process is the involvement of our local people. We need to hear from our communities to help develop our transformation strategy. Together we can make primary care work better for you and for those who work within it.”
