The Health and Wellbeing Board will be coming together on Wednesday (3rd February 2016) to consider the annual plans for health and social care spend across Bath and North East Somerset.
The Board will be hearing from Bath & North East Somerset Council, B&NES Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS England on their key priorities in areas including urgent care, primary care, children’s services, and mental health.
They will also be hearing about plans for supporting people to take more control over their own care in the future and lead healthier and more independent lives.
As part of the meeting, the Health and Wellbeing Board will be discussing the progress and next steps for the your care, your way review.
Local residents have been taking part in this bold and ambitious review of community health and care services and feeding in their views and experiences.
Through the review to date, people have highlighted the importance of joining up local care and ensuring that services are holistic and person-centred rather than focused on specific conditions.
Dr Ian Orpen, Co-Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board and Clinical Chair of the CCG said: “Central to this review has been our commitment to listening to local people and organisations and ensuring that they take a lead role in developing the types of health and care services they want to use or deliver in the future.
“Our role as a Board is to ensure we use this feedback to help us select which organisations will deliver community health and care services from April 2017 onwards.
“Healthwatch Bathnes have a seat on the Health and Wellbeing Board and have been ensuring that the voice of local people, especially those groups whose voices are not always heard, are captured and taken into consideration when planning and reviewing services.”
The Health and Wellbeing Board will also be discussing recent reforms to the way children and young people who are disabled or have special educational needs are supported.
A lot of work has already been undertaken on this and a ‘Local Offer’ for Bath and North East Somerset has been published which sets out the services and support available.
The Board will also be considering opportunities for further support. This includes ensuring that there are effective pathways in place so that all young people are able to participate in education, training and employment.
Cllr Vic Pritchard, Co-Chair of the Health and Wellbeing and Council Cabinet member for Adult Social Care and Health, said: “These reforms are the most significant change in special education needs for 30 years.
“Through these reforms, our aim is to put young people and families at the heart of the process. This includes joining it up so that they do not have to repeat their story to a number of different agencies or teams.”
Members of the public are invited to attend the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting, which will take place from 10am-12pm on Wednesday 3rd February in the Council Chamber, Guildhall, Bath.
People can also get involved and watch the meeting online through a webcast.
The Bath and North East Somerset Health and Wellbeing Board has recently been shortlisted in the ‘Effective Health and Wellbeing Board’ category for the Local Government Chronicle Awards 2016.
The Board brings together key health and social care leaders in Bath and North East Somerset who are working to improve the health and wellbeing of local people.
Boards have been shortlisted where they have shown that they are making a key difference to the health and social care services in their area and the winner is due to be announced on 16th March 2016.
