Creating the future for our local NHS and social care

Plans are afoot in Buckingham for what could be a radical change in how local health and social care are delivered to the folk of Buckingham and nearby villages. The problem is as members of the public we are being told very little and brought into the conversation even less. 

Surely, the people should have a say, and be part of the discussions about the future of our NHS and the local provision of social care to young people and vulnerable adults! 

• The plans to relocate town centre GP services to a new site on Lace Hill have been under discussion for years now but there still seems to be little known about the actual decisions
• The local Clinical Commissioning Group is deafening us with their silence on these matters even though it is their job to decide, with us, on how the NHS is shaped in our area
• However the CCG is about to consumed into 'BOB' - the new Integrated Care System covering West Berkshire, all of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. And I fear they will disappear down a rabbit hole as they sort out who has which job in the new structure. Meanwhile, what happens to us?
• On behalf of the Town Council, I had the chance to ask questions about some of these changes at a recent meeting of the Buckinghamshire Health and Adult Social Care Select Committee. You can see what I said and answers received here. I am still confused, however. 

What matters going forward from here is that the whole population of Buckingham and nearby areas should be involved and engaged in shaping the future of our health and social provision. This is something so important to us - we must not be kept out of the conversation! And there are plenty of ways in which can happen - including public meetings, surveys, whole system engagement events and so forth. 

My fear is that the deals will be done behind closed doors and we will eventually be 'told' what is happening... Or else just given a matter of weeks to respond to a fairly hardened plan where there will be little wriggle room...

As your councillor I will use every ounce of influence that I have to ensure that our community is actively involved and engaged in shaping the future of our health and social care services. 

Indeed if we want to have a healthier community - we all must be! 

the original front door to the Buckingham Community Hospital