Have your say over the future of health services

Residents are being invited to have their say on how health services in the borough should be developed for the future.

The NHS across England is changing and as part of that a new drive to get people involved in shaping their local services has been launched.

Across the NHS Ashford Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area, people are being encouraged to join the Health Network so that they can have a say in how hospitals, family doctors, social care workers and community nurses work together to look after the people who need care and keep others healthy and well.

Services designed in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s now need updating for 2020 and beyond. NHS doctors and leaders across Ashford borough are getting together over to discuss what needs to change and share ideas about ways to make that happen.

As well as new evidence about the best way to treat certain conditions and new national standards to meet, there are challenges in funding an ageing workforce and linking health and social care services more effectively.

But health chiefs say they want residents to be involved and have their say on the way ahead, which they can do by sign- ing up to the Ashford health network and getting involved with Healthwatch Kent.

Martin Harvey, a lay member for patient and public engagement at the CCG, said: “The NHS is facing big challenges and we need to move with the times and find newer, better ways of working. People in Ashford and the surrounding area need to get care that best meets their needs but that is also affordable and deliverable for the local NHS for the long-term.”

Dr Sarah Phillips, chair of the East Kent Strategy Board which is looking at how health and care services are designed and delivered, said: “We’re really keen to hear the views of patients and the public across the whole of east Kent. This will build on a range of conversations that have taken place to look at how care could be delivered in different ways.”

To get involved visit www. ashfordccg.nhs.uk/getinvolved/join-the-network/ or call Healthwatch for free on 0808 801 0102 or visit www. healthwatchkent.co.uk

Thinkstock image The NHS is changing and people are being asked to involved in shaping their local services