Proposals to improve and develop Stoke Mandeville and Wycombe Hospital services

1 February 2012

People in Buckinghamshire are being urged by two of the county’s leading doctors to find out more about proposals to acute hospital services in Buckinghamshire and then to take advantages of the many ways in which they can respond.

The proposals, which have been developed by hospital doctors, nurses, GPs and other clinicians through the Better Healthcare in Bucks programme, were published on 16 January and are subject to a three month public consultation led by the NHS Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Cluster (the primary care trust or PCT for the area). Buckinghamshire people have until 16 April to respond. Details of the proposals are set out in full and summary consultation reports and can also be found online.

During the three month public consultation period there will be a number of ways in which local people can find out more, ask questions and respond.  These include public meetings in six locations around the county, starting with Marlow on 2 February, road shows in libraries, shopping centres and other venues, a specially developed website with background information and a short film featuring local doctors talking about the proposals, consultation materials and a public survey which is available online and on paper.

The launch of the consultation followed a public involvement and engagement programme which ran from September to October 2011 and which set out to gain views on the aims of Better Healthcare in Bucks through a series of activities including independently led public involvement sessions, meetings with stakeholder organisations and patient groups, information distributed to over 12,000 individuals and organisations and a public and staff survey. The results of the public involvement and engagement programme showed that people were broadly in support of the aims of Better Healthcare in Bucks, although they highlighted that travel and access had to be considered, communication and co-ordination within NHS organisations needed to be improved, and raised concerns about access to GPs.

Dr Graz Luzzi, Medical Director for Bucks Healthcare NHS Trust said:

“We want to ensure that most people can be cared for as close to home as possible, which patients say they usually want.  If people need to go to hospital for specialist care in an emergency, we want to ensure that they reach the right place first time and that they are treated by the relevant experts, as we know this will lead to better outcomes for them.  Our proposals are based on putting this principle into practice.  There is a wish on the part of local doctors and their clinical colleagues to be working in services which are of a high quality and safe, and which have a long term future. I hope that people take the time to consider what we are doing, read the proposals and give us their support.”

Dr Geoff Payne, Medical Director for the NHS Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Cluster said: “I realise that people often have strong loyalties to their local health services, and are sceptical about change.  However, healthcare advances all of the time and we need to take advantage of these developments if we want a 21^st century NHS in Buckinghamshire.  We also want to ensure that both Wycombe and Stoke Mandeville Hospitals have healthy futures, providing both general and specialist care for people in the county.  We hope that as many local people as possible attend our events, read our materials and respond to our questions.  We are also keen to hear from community and patient groups who would be prepared to invite us to their meetings.  We would like to see as many people as possible join in our consultation – we have a common interest in all wanting the best possible health care for local people.”

For more information on Better Healthcare in Bucks: www.buckinghamshire.nhs.uk/bhib/