Decision details

Sue Stevenson, Chief Operating Officer, Healthwatch Lancashire provided a summary of the findings from the Focus Groups on the NHS Long Term Plan.  Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System wanted to ensure that the needs of those with complex health conditions were being addressed by recent developments within the healthcare system.  Healthwatch Cumbria, Healthwatch Lancashire, Healthwatch Blackburn with Darwen and Healthwatch Blackpool were asked to conduct focus groups that targeted certain priority groups.  The priority groups were identified by the local Integrated Care Partnership and Clinical Commissioning Groups.

The presentation demonstrated how the individual views and experiences of people gathered by Healthwatch could provide rich intelligence and real insight into how services could be improved from the perspective of service users.

The Focus Groups took place between June and September 2019.  The priority groups were:

·  Aged 18-65 with a mental health condition

·  Living in areas of high deprivation

·  Living in rural areas

·  Of working age

·  With a long term medical condition

·  Who were military veterans

·  Who were older, transgender persons

·  Suffering from frailty

·  With dementia

·  One group of older residents and one group of younger residents

The groups were asked to focus on the following key areas:

·  Changes and developments to the health care system

·  Feedback on Associate Physicians

·  Inclusion

·  Communication

·  Links between different services

·  Mental health

·  Primary Care Networks

·  Community Services

The Board received the feedback on the key areas that were discussed by the priority groups and discussed ways forward.  The Board agreed it needed to hold the Integrated Care System to account and be aware of what each service was doing with regarding this.  Communication was still a major issue within organisations and how residents were communicated with, should be more user-friendly.  Again the biggest challenge was financially and decisions were still being made within individual organisations unaware of the consequences across the piste and learning needed to be shared across the system.  Communities also needed to come together and help each other and organisations should be offered to communities to help them set this up.

Resolved:  That the Health and Wellbeing Board:

i)  Noted the key messages from the Focus Groups including:

·  The level of understanding about the health and care system and its on-going changes.

·  What was working well and less well.

ii)  Considered how Healthwatch could further assist Lancashire Health and Wellbeing Board ensure that more people were engaged and involved more people in shaping local services.  As a consequence it was agreed that the Chair, on behalf of the Board, engage with the Integrated Care System and Integrated Care Partnerships to request their response to the report and identify actions they intended to take; with a view to bringing findings back to a future Board meeting and that the Health and Wellbeing Strategy be revisited in light of the report to inform Board agendas and activity going forward.