Have your say on health plans for Somerset

BECKINGTON Family Practice is urging local people to be more involved in the discussion of Somerset’s Sustainability Plan (STP).

An STP is a five-year plan for the future of health and care services in local areas which the NHS is developing with local authorities across the country.

Somerset published its STP in November 2016 but the details are not set in stone. It is a blueprint describing the proposed direction that local health and social care services could be developed over the next five years and is part of a wider discussion with patients, carers and the public.

Beckington Family Practice commented on the STP,  “For the Beckington Family Practice this is likely to involve working together with neighbouring practices across Mendip to a far greater extent than previously and seeking to work more closely with social care services, as we aim to provide sustainable primary care services in challenging times.”

Beckington Family Practice Patient Participation Group is now urging the public to get involved and contribute to the decision-making process by volunteering to be a patient or carer representative on an STP working group.

You will be expected to attend meetings in different parts of the country at least once a month for the next six months and willing to share information with other people in your local community and feed back their concerns and questions.

Your role is to ask questions and challenge assumptions from a patient’s or carer’s perspective. You will help the group to understand the needs of patients and the barriers they face.

If you are interested in getting involved, contact stpfeedback@somersetccg.nhs.uk