2 April 2019

The following information is from Healthwatch Shropshire and Healthwatch Telford & Wrekin

The NHS in Shropshire is changing, it is developing a local plan and needs your help.

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The two local independent health and care champions, Healthwatch Telford & Wrekin and Healthwatch Shropshire, have set up events in Telford and Shrewsbury, where members of the public keen to influence the future of the NHS in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin are being encouraged to make their views known.

The Government is investing £20 billion a year in the NHS and nationally has developed the NHS Long Term Plan. This Long Term Plan sets out all the things it wants health services to do better for people across the country. Now your local NHS needs to hear from you about what those changes should look like in our community.

Lynn Cawley, Chief Officer of Healthwatch Shropshire, said “We have launched two online surveys at www.healthwatch.co.uk/what-would-you-do to gather views but we know that it is important to give people the opportunity to come together to share their views, ideas and experiences to ensure that the local plans reflect the needs of our population.”

Paul Shirley, General Manager of Healthwatch Telford & Wrekin, commented “We are very pleased with the response we are getting from the surveys but know that hearing directly from people is extremely valuable and produces rich feedback that is really useful to those producing the local plan.”

The Shrewsbury event is being held at The Trinity Centre, Meole Brace on Wednesday 1 May. To book a place please visit www.healthwatchshropshire.co.uk or call 01743 237884.

The Telford event is being held at Meeting Point House, Southwater Square on Monday 29 April. To book a place please email telford.admin@healthwatchtelfordandwrekin.co.uk or call 01952 739540.

The two Healthwatches will be gathering together all the feedback and sharing it with the local Sustainability and Transformation Partnership who are responsible for the local plan.

Healthwatch Shropshire and Healthwatch Telford & Wrekin are the independent consumer champions for health and social care in the county of Shropshire and the borough of Telford & Wrekin. They gather the views and experiences of patients, service users, carers, and the general public about services including hospitals, GPs, mental health services, community health services, pharmacists, opticians, residential care and children’s services. They also have statutory powers that can be used to influence service provision by encouraging improvements.