canalside news

NHS Conference at the canalside
Thursday 24 th January saw what has been widely recognised as a key part of the advancement of the NHS. Staff, patients and members of the public met together at the Canalside Centre in Bridgwater to discuss plans on the future of the NHS.

The scheme 'Our NHS Our Future', led by top surgeon Lord Ara Darzi from the Ministry of Health, is intended to get to the heart of issues surrounding the NHS, with the opinions of the community and of employees leading the way. The conference was conducted simultaneously with 9 other locations nationwide with a live video link through which ideas and viewpoints could be communicated instantly between districts. Asked for his aims with the project, Lord Darzi commented: "This review is all about engaging with patients, public and staff to shape the NHS for the 21 st century. I am determined that this will be developed and owned by patients, public and staff together."

He went on to describe his intent with the localised conferencing, saying: "We have challenged everyone to identify the right local solutions for improving the NHS in their region. I expect this work to be clinically led, patient centred and locally accountable."

In accordance with his wishes over 200 people attended the event, many of whom were from the surrounding area, and the proposals discussed were specific to the health services in the South West. Various ideas followed on from the formation of clinical pathway groups by the South West Strategic Health Authority, set up to target specific health scenarios such as maternity and mental health. Dr. Jonathan Sheffield, who is coordinating the clinical pathways, said: "It really has been a great experience working with colleagues to explore how the NHS in the South West can be changed to better meet the demands of patients." Remarking on progress, he mentioned: "The clinical groups have come up with some innovative plans which put the patient at the very centre of everything that we do. We want to ensure that patients in the South West receive the very best care, wherever they live."

The adequately sized Canalside Centre provided a lively and buzzing atmosphere, encouraging open discussion amongst participants. The Canalside's representative Beulah Jacob said: "We at The Canalside were proud to host this event and be the chosen venue for the 'Our NHS, Our Future' review. It was a great success, and we were delighted to be involved." As part of the programme, Lord Darzi would like to hear from as many people as possible with their opinions on the NHS - both staff and members of the public are invited to take part in an online questionnaire at: www.nhs.uk/ournhs. All contributions will be looked at and could be instrumental in shaping the NHS for the future.