Local NHS wants your views to help shape urgent and emergency care services for the future

The NHS in Southport, Formby and West Lancashire has today started a public conversation about local urgent and emergency services.

People are being asked to share their views as part of the Shaping Care Together programme, which aims to deliver the care people need, today and in the future.

No decisions about services have yet been made. Today’s announcement marks the start of a period of listening to local people, staff and communities, and comes as a case for change for the programme is published.

Many NHS services were designed decades ago, for the population at that time. Rob Cooper, Managing Director at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said:

“We face a number of different challenges today, such as tackling waiting lists and seeing through our Covid recovery plans.

“But we also have a duty to provide safe and excellent care, and to make sure that everyone can access the care they need, when they need it.

“That means finding better ways of providing local NHS services, by making best use of the staff, buildings, money, and other resources we have available.”

Before any changes can be considered, a broad range of views need to be heard from NHS healthcare experts, the people who use and rely on local services, and the organisations and people that work with the NHS.

The NHS partners working together on Shaping Care Together are NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria and Mersey and West Lancashire NHS Teaching Hospitals Trust.

There are a number of ways to get involved and share your views, from in-person events to webinars and surveys.

To find out how to take part, and to fill in the short online survey, visit the dedicated NHS website at https://yoursayshapingcaretogether.co.uk/

A summary version of the case for change document is also available on the programme website.