Published Wednesday 10 August 2016 at 10:38
Residents are being urged to get involved, debate and help shape the future of health and social care in East Lancashire.
NHS and local councils in Pennine Lancashire, which is made of East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen, are working together to change the way health and social care is delivered in the area. Together they aim to meet the future health and social care needs of residents as well as meeting the tough financial challenge in the next few years.
Stark national statistics show that while residents’ health has improved over the last 10 years, people living here still have some of the worst health in the country and die earlier than people living elsewhere. Working together, they aim to reverse this statistic.
Analysis also shows that if nothing is done, there will be a funding gap of around £238 million in five years’ time as demand is outstripping the funding available.
Graham Burgess, Chair of NHS Blackburn with Darwen Clinical Commissioning Group and Dr Phil Huxley, Chair of NHS East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group, are joint chairs of the System Leaders Forum which oversees the programme on behalf of the organisations involved.
Dr Huxley said:
There has been a lot of good work done in this area over the years to make us healthier but we can and we must do better.
I believe that there is no option other than radically changing the system and there is a clear case for change for doing this. But this cannot be done alone. Everyone – residents, businesses, community groups – needs to play a part in helping create a new system for our area, one which meets today’s challenges as well as challenges we will face.
Mr Burgess said:
We need your help, your support and most importantly your ideas to help shape the future.
Of course, there will be some tough conversations to have as we develop the new system. We don’t have an unlimited pot of money. But we still have £1.07bn to spend on health and social care in the future. We need to make we use that money effectively and efficiently and develop a system which we can all be proud of.
To get involved log onto the campaign website, like on Facebook or follow on Twitter
You can also phone (01282) 644738 or write to Together a Healthier Future, Pennine Lancashire Transformation Project Team, Walshaw House, Regent Street, Nelson, BB9 8AS
For more information, contact Ben Greenwood on: 07545 429146.