Agenda item

At its last meeting, the Committee received an update on Buckinghamshire Integrated Care Partnership’s comprehensive programme of public engagement.  The programme and survey launched on 24^th August 2020 and the survey closed on 19^th October.  Further engagement work has taken place during December.

The Committee will receive a presentation on the latest results of the survey and some of the key findings from the focus groups.

Presenter:

Mr D Williams, Director of Strategy, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

Papers:

Report attached

The Chairman welcomed Mr David Williams, Director of Strategy, Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust, and referred to the paper in the agenda pack.  D Williams recapped that Mr Dan Leveson, Deputy Director of Strategy had presented a verbal update at the last meeting.  The engagement exercise had been developed around the following four themes - reducing health inequalities, community services, keeping people safe and digital appointments.  Phase two had been completed in order to obtain richer data, particularly from Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups, carers and patients with disabilities and long-term conditions (LTCs).  83 members of the public were part of the second phase; 25% were from the BAME community, 27% were carers and 33% had a disability or LTC.    D Williams highlighted the following points:

• Digital appointments were working well but residents were concerned that face to face appointments may not be available in the future.  More communication was required to reassure residents that face to face appointments would continue where necessary. 
• Keeping people safe - further communication was required regarding NHS 111 services to ensure efficient use of A & E resources.
• Residents were willing to travel further for a one-off appointment if it resulted in being seen earlier but not for regular appointments; particularly older people and if the journey was on public transport. 
• BHT was committed as a partnership and needed to work harder with communities on how to change and deliver services.  D Williams emphasised that BHT would work with the HASC Select Committee and the community if any changes were to be made which would impact on the residents.  
• Community services – many people had experienced integrated care and the idea of community hubs and joined up care was well received.  Recovering at home was preferable, if possible. 
• Information on beds in the community hospitals would be provided in the report. 
• Residents were receptive to information on lifestyle choices but did not like being preached to about what was good or bad.  It was noted that work should be carried out with children and families to change habits.
• BHT acknowledged the need to improve communications regarding changes to services and the ‘tone’ of communications was important. 

The following points were raised in discussion with Committee members

• A Member requested that the final report be written in ‘plain’ English; D Williams agreed and suggested that some of the committee members could help with the terminology for future reports.
• It was suggested that the focus groups be asked why they had not completed the survey when it was first released.
• A Member referred to one of the public questions [question one on page 21 of the agenda pack].  D Williams acknowledged that the survey was carried out digitally which precluded some residents from taking part and this was the reason phase two of the survey was undertaken.  The Community Boards were now established and would be an excellent way in which to engage with residents.  The Chairman highlighted that 20,000 free text survey responses had been received and advised that the HASC Select Committee were keen to see these as part of the final report. 
• It was noted that the report had been delayed; D Williams confirmed that the report would be completed within the next two weeks and would be discussed at the next Buckinghamshire ICP meeting.  The Chairman stated that the HASC wanted to review the findings of the report and asked that this be factored into the project timeline.

The Chairman thanked David Williams for attending the meeting.