We really want to hear your views
Just before Christmas (on 20 December 2018), East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership launched the first stage of its consultation and engagement around the priorities for the next East Lothian Integration Joint Board (IJB) Strategic Plan. The plan is what determines the work of the IJB and the ELHSCP over the next three years, including how services will be prioritised and developed and how funding will be allocated. We are talking about social care services and health services, like GPs, so the strategic plan is relevant for every single one of us.
At the moment, our engagement centres on the strategic aims we set ourselves when the IJB was established in 2015. We’re asking people to tell us which of those aims are most important to them now, and asking them to look at some new priorities that have arisen from rising levels need, a growing population and new legislation.
We are really grateful to a number of people who have already responded to our survey, which went online just before Christmas. I also wanted to remind people who haven’t taken part yet about how important it is to get your views in now, as we would really value your input and ensure that the new plan really reflects the views of staff.
The aims from the 2015 IJB Strategic Plan include:
- making universal services more accessible and proportionate to need and developing our communities
- improving prevention and early intervention
- reducing unplanned admissions to hospital
- providing care closer to home
- delivering services within an integrated care model
- enabling people to have more choice and control
- further optimising efficiency and effectiveness
- reducing health inequalities
- building and supporting partnership working.
We also asked if people thought our six new local priorities are right. These are Primary Care, Adults with Complex Needs, Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Shifting the Balance of Care, Reprovision Programmes and Carers. Over two-thirds of respondents thought we’d got it completely right; nearly 11 per cent didn’t think so, and a further 21 per cent made suggestions of their own, including more focus on mental health services for adolescents and dementia services, which we will be looking at very closely as part of our work around mental health.
This first survey will close on the 3rd February so there’s still plenty of time to take part. We’re also going to be holding staff events and meetings between now and mid-March to allow more in-depth discussions. And, we will factor in feedback we have from other consultations like the Carers Strategy; What Do I Want For My Life, and Growing Older.
We will also be issuing a fuller version of the draft strategic plan soon so that people can see the impact of what they have told us so far in setting the priorities for health and social care in East Lothian.
The aims emerging from the questionnaire as the most important so far are:
- improving early intervention and prevention
- providing care closer to home
- enabling people to have more choice and control.
If you would like to tell ELHSCP what you think, you can find:
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