Interested organisations or individuals are being invited to take part in a public listening panel to provide evidence or ideas on solving the challenges local hospital and NHS services are facing across South Tyneside and Sunderland.
NHS partners published the Path to Excellence phase two draft case for change in July 2018 which explains the pressures and challenges facing local hospital services in South Tyneside and Sunderland and why services must change. Over the summer and autumn this has been shared with local communities to gain feedback.
The Path to Excellence draft case for change is one of three main areas of work across the whole local health and care economy, which will also look at how to transform care outside of hospital and help support local communities to stay fit and well by focussing on prevention.
Clinical design teams working together across South Tyneside and Sunderland are currently busy thinking through potential emerging ideas in order to create the best possible hospital services for the future.
As part of that process, NHS leaders are asking interested individuals or organisations if they have key evidence or ideas that the NHS should consider as part of finding future solutions, and the opportunity to present them directly to NHS leaders at a specially arranged public listening panel in December.
Dr Shaz Wahid, Medical Director for South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The NHS belongs to all of us, and through our case for change document we have set out the very real challenges and pressures the local NHS is facing, why we cannot keep going as we are and why we must think innovatively to maximise our resources and the funding we have available to provide first class hospital services which are fit for the future.
“Our NHS staff in both South Tyneside and Sunderland have been working hard over the past year to begin thinking about how we may be able to address some of the very difficult challenges facing us and our draft ‘case for change’ document includes the views of hundreds of colleagues, as well as local patients, who have taken part in our early engagement work.
“Now we have had a chance to share these issues over the last few months, we want to hear from individuals or organisations who have important information or ideas to share with us, so we can make sure they are considered and taken into account as we work towards developing tangible solutions that we can bring to a wider public consultation in the Summer 2019.”
The panel will be chaired by Nicholas Duffin, director of The Consultation Institute, an independent, not-for-profit best practice Institute, promoting high-quality public and stakeholder consultation in the public, private and voluntary sectors.
Key questions participants wishing to give evidence to the public listening panel should consider:
- Information they think the NHS needs to consider in response to the draft case for change
- Arguments against the information set out in the draft case for change
- Proposals for ideas to solve the issues in the draft case for change
- Proposals for additions to the draft case for change
In order to ensure as many people as possible can access the event, it will also be broadcast live on the internet via social media platforms and NHS websites.
Interested parties can book a 30 minute slot at an event to take place on Tuesday 11th December 2018, between, 2pm to 5pm and will be asked to submit any written materials three working days in advance, 5pm Wednesday 5th December, to allow members of the panel to prepare and to ensure the information is formally received.
Attendees will have the opportunity to present their evidence and there will be an opportunity for questions from panel members relating to the attendees evidence.
Dr Shaz Wahid, Medical Director for South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust, continued: “We are hoping to hear from elected members, MPs, community and voluntary organisations and interest groups whom we know have valuable perspectives and intelligence to share with us.
“The panel provides a really important way for people to contribute ideas and information in this critical stage of coming up with different solutions to the problems we are facing that are set out in the draft case for change.
“We can draw upon what we learn to update our draft case for change, and continue to work with our staff and clinical teams on viable solutions. We will bring these as options in a formal public consultation later in Summer 2019 when we will have a wider public debate on how we will create the best possible hospital services for the future to serve our communities.”
Phase Two of the Path to Excellence is the final part of the clinical transformation of local hospital services covering the following areas of hospital-based care:
- Emergency care and acute medicine – the care provided when patients arrive at the Emergency Department or need emergency admission to hospital
- Emergency surgery – the care provided when patients are admitted to hospital as an emergency and require an immediate operation
- Planned care (including surgery and outpatients) – the care provided when patients are referred to hospital by their GP for a test, scan, treatment or operation.
To book a slot to give evidence at the event click here.
To find out more visit www.pathtoexcellence.org.uk
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Media contact:
Emma Taylor, Senior Communications Officer
07769 643 453
Notes to Editors
*The Path to Excellence programme is a partnership of local NHS organisations working together to plan for the future and identify new and innovative ways of delivering high quality, joined-up, sustainable hospital services that will further improve the quality of care and patient outcomes for local people. The partners include:
- NHS South Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group
- NHS Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group
- City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
- South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust
For more information and to stay up-to-date with the Path to Excellence programme visit: www.pathtoexcellence.org.uk and sign up to MY NHS to receive regular updates.