A SERIES of workshops have been carried out on the Sustainability and Transformation Plan/Shaping Our Future document — with consultation with the wider public due next year, the Post understands, writes Amy Dennis.

After hearing from local people who had been invited to take part in workshops, the Post contacted the NHS to find out more about them, and to find out if they are open to the public and press.

We were told the workshops involve local clinicians, practitioners, a wide range of professionals from all sectors and some ‘expert patients’, and although it seems they are not open to everyone, spokespeople from the NHS have assured ‘we do not intend to make any substantial changes to future service provision without public consultation as we move forward implementing improvements to our services, and the way in which they are delivered’.

Fears about the future of community hospitals in Cornwall were raised with the publication last year of the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) ‘Shaping Our Future’ document — this outline plan said a reduction in the number of hospital beds and community hospital sites in Cornwall could be on the cards.

There was consultation on this from November to January, when the public had a chance to have their say on the local plans through a survey or series of community events.

Workshops have been held in July, and more will be held in September and November, before the general public is consulted on ‘plans for a transformed model of care’ next year.

A spokesperson for the NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit, said: “Shaping Our Future is developing our plan to transform health and care services to ensure we have a joined-up and sustainable system that meets people’s needs, now and in the future. The way we provide services at the moment does not always meet people’s needs, particularly as our system is facing increasing demand and rising costs, and we need to consider how we better meet people’s needs, and where services are best placed to meet those needs.

“We have just completed a first round of seven locality-based engagement events across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to gather more insight. These took place with around 300 clinicians, volunteers, councillors, patients, staff and other stakeholders to ensure any changes reflect the needs of our communities. This builds on the public engagement that took place earlier this year, involving 5,000 local people. Our approach to developing more integrated services and creating opportunities to improve services was recently recognised at a national level as making good progress.

“This is the first time Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships, such as Shaping Our Future, have been rated and we are really pleased our approach to work together in the best interests of the people we serve has been recognised as the right approach.

“All the information captured during the July workshops will be collated and will help to tailor a series of two further rounds of workshops taking place throughout September and November to consider options and help develop our plans for a transformed model of care which we will consult with the wider public on next year.

“We do not intend to make any substantial changes to future service provision without public consultation as we move forward implementing improvements to our services, and the way in which they are delivered.

“These workshops are an integral part of the Shaping Our Future programme’s commitment to ensuring that local clinicians, practitioners, a wide range of professionals from all sectors and some ‘expert patients’ are fully involved in shaping and working up of the model of care for their local community.

“The output from the workshops as we go through each cycle will be shared publically and we are inviting participants to take the discussions back into their own organisations and communities so we continue to build on the rich picture that is developing.”

- What do you think? Should the public have been invited to the workshops? Let us know your views by emailing [email protected] or telephone 01566 778211.