How people would spend extra NHS cash in Cambridgeshire
These are some of the top findings in our 'What Would You Do?' report published today.
We asked residents 'What would you do to improve your local NHS'? as part of a project to help local health services plan for the future.
The NHS Long Term Plan, published earlier this year, set out priorities for health care in England over the next 10 years and how £20bn of extra funding will be spent.
Now residents across the region have had a say on what those changes should look like in their community.
"People know that local health and care services are facing big pressures with shortages of staff and money.
They want to help and were willing and interested to share their experiences to shape future services.
Whether about staying healthy or living with long-term conditions, people's ideas and preferences reveal some important principles about how they would like to see health and care services develop in the future.''
How many people spoke up?
More than 800 people from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough shared their views with us on how the extra funding could improve support from NHS services.
Three in every five people we spoke to live with a long-term health condition or a disability.
What people said
People want faster, easier access to GP services to help them stay well.
They want health and care that is more joined up, especially for people with one or more long-term health conditions.
They want services that meet their needs, often called 'person-centred'.
They are interested in self-help and want more support to find information, and the right services to help them stay well. People told us that they often struggled to find the information they needed to manage their health.
Travel and transport difficulties continue to be barriers to effective health care for people in the more rural areas of the county. People want care closer to home.
"(I'd like to see) More support locally for treatment of my ME. I have to go all the way to Addenbrooke's for good support from their pain clinic. This exhausted me and the drive, which at times takes two hours, brings on my pains."
We also found a clear digital divide. Although many saw the opportunities of embracing technology – such as making online GP appointments to manage their health - others felt they would be excluded by this.
What happens next
Our report will be used to help the NHS and local government develop their own Long Term Plan for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. This group of organisations work together as the local Sustainability and Transformation Partnership. They cover hospital services, community healthcare, mental health, social care and GP services.
It will also be used to develop the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2019-24. This important document sets out how organisations will work together with the public to improve people's health, care and wellbeing across the region.
The response to our reports
The Sustainability and Transformation Partnership and the Health and Wellbeing Partnership have welcomed our report.
Share your story too
Didn't get a chance to take the survey? It's not too late to tell us about your experiences and ideas.
Help make your local NHS better for everyone in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough by sharing your views with our Healthwatch.
Call 0330 355 1285
Text 0752 0635 176
Downloads
More about the Long Term Plan
NHS England's Long Term Plan explains how the NHS will spend the extra money committed by government for healthcare services.
