Our consultation is now open – learn more and share your thoughts on the proposal before 1 April 2020
What clinicians, staff, GPs and local people think is key to us developing the right local health and care services. From June to October 2018 the three CCGs ran an early engagement period with staff, local people, community groups, local councils, MPs and other key interest groups to set out why change is needed and what the potential options are. Please visit our proposals page for more about our model of care and our proposed options.
Our work with local people
We ran a number of activities to hear from a wide range of local people. During our early engagement work, over 1,100 responses were received from a range of people.
- 7 meetings of our Stakeholder Reference Group
- 12 public engagement events
- Six high street engagement events
- Six focus groups with people who use maternity, paediatrics and A&E
- Nine workshops with protected characteristic groups
Community engagement with other equalities groups - Emails, letters, telephone calls and via our website and social media channels (Twitter and Facebook)
Analysis of this feedback showed there was agreement that things must change to ensure that high quality care is provided for generations to come. However, there was no agreement about the type of change needed. What is clear is that people value their local services and while many responses highlighted that people are willing to go further for better care, there is a natural desire to keep services closer to home.
People raised concerns about travel and access to hospitals, especially for those who are more isolated, deprived or less mobile. As well as this early engagement work, in November 2018 we ran three further independently facilitated workshops with members of the public, NHS professionals and other experts to consider the potential solutions. You can read our reports in the important documents section.
Clinicians and health and care staff
- The vast majority of senior clinicians at both hospitals – over 90%, signed a letter supporting the Trust’s strategic outline case for investment and the bringing together of services.
- The CCG’s Clinical Advisory Group, which is comprised of local clinicians from across primary and secondary care, has led the process of developing a future model of care to address the challenges that have been identified.
- We have tested the clinical model with the South East and London Clinical Senates. These are bodies that represent senior GPs and hospital doctors across Surrey and London to independently review any proposals to change services. This report will be published before consultation.
- We are continuing to work closely with local clinicians, in and out of hospital, to refine the clinical model and take on board and incorporate all feedback.
- We are running focus groups with staff at both Epsom and St Helier to understand their views.
- We have been working with other hospitals and ambulance services to look in detail at any possible impacts on their services.