Colleagues from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust's Southampton and Southwest (SSW) division and the community engagement team took part in a workshop hosted by Southampton Test MP, Satvir Kaur at Oakley Road in the city.
The 11 April workshop involved a wide mix of around 30 people from the NHS, wider local healthcare, community organisations, Southampton City Council public health department, carers, and those with lived experience, all with the aim of hearing their views on the NHS 10 year plan.
Managing Director for SSW division, Alasdair Snell, spoke about the importance of how we need to bring our communities and staff into planning and influencing our ongoing and future delivery of care for the NHS to be excellent.
There were three breakout sessions which asked everyone to discuss how they can help make a difference around the three pillars of the "left shift" – making better use of technology; moving care from hospitals to communities; and preventing sickness. Really energised conversations were had, with Satvir taking away questions from the audience and key feedback and insights directly to Parliamentary and NHS England counterparts.
After the workshop, Satvir took a tour around the South of England Rehabilitation Centre (SERC) close to Oakley Road. She saw the state-of-the-art facilities which encompass two 25-bed wards over two floors. Both wards boast a range of improved facilities, including a larger gymnasium, a courtyard and terrace for accessible outside space and an Assisted Daily Living (ADL) suite; a joined kitchen and bedroom/bathroom that is designed with features patients would have at home and can be used to prepare patients for leaving hospital by practicing daily activities.
Satvir commented: “Great to have people from all walks of life present – from healthcare professionals to local charities, to local residents – all giving invaluable feedback on how we make our NHS fit for purpose once more. Pleased Southampton voices will be part of shaping our government plans. Thank you to everyone that helped make it happen, shared stories and experiences, were honest about hopes and fears, and suggested what more we can do together.”