There’s still time to share your views on first steps in modernising community-based services in Oxfordshire.

The Oxfordshire Community Services project aims to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for everyone across the county and increase independence for older people.

Project partners, which include the county’s health services and local authorities, are developing this work with the full engagement of local people. They are asking people who currently use services, carers, staff,  community and voluntary organisations and the general public and their representatives to offer their insights and views.

The first stage is to ensure there are agreed principles to help steer the work. These principles are still to be finalised and there are number of ways to have your say.

Please read the draft documents and complete a questionnaire on the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group website here https://www.oxfordshireccg.nhs.uk/get-involved/have-your-say.htm. You an also attend the last in a series of virtual engagement meetings to ask more questions on:

• Friday 8 October 2021  from 4pm – 5pm

For joining details please go to:
https://www.oxfordshireccg.nhs.uk/get-involved/have-your-say.htm 

Diane Hedges, deputy chief executive at Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “We have drafted these principles across our health and social care partnerships. These principles will be very important to help guide the project and we want to make sure we get right before moving to the next stage.

“We need to hear what people who live or work in Oxfordshire think about them and offer their input on these principles, before we go any further.

“The meetings are a chance for the public,  patients, carers, staff and volunteer organisations to ask questions and share views as we embark on this important work.”

The improvements to community services will be made through:

• more focus on prevention
• provision of more care closer to home and different use of community hospitals
• more use of digital technology
• introduction of new services
• work across organisations to meet demand

Over the next few months services to be reviewed include:

• those which help people live independently and prevent isolation
• out of hours GP services
• home care and visiting services
• community nursing and therapy services
• short stay and community hospital beds
• community tests and x-ray
• urgent community services and minor injury services

Dr Ben Riley, Executive Managing Director for Primary, Community and Dental Care at Oxford Health NHS FT, which provides community service in the county, said: “We feel this is a fantastic opportunity to develop our services to improve the long term health and wellbeing of people in Oxfordshire.

“To do this, it’s vital that we take our communities with us on this journey of improvement, and hear from patients, their families, carers as well as the thousands of people who use, work or volunteer in community services across the county.”

More information and access to documents and questionnaire can be found here  Oxfordshire Community Services (oxfordshireccg.nhs.uk)