A campaign to understand what is important to local communities about the future of health and care services across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) has started with local health and care organisation’s capturing the views of local people at events across the region.

The campaign, which will run until mid-September under the title #BLMKfutureNHS, will provide BLMK residents and communities with an opportunity to share their views about existing services and what is important to them for the future.

#BLMKfutureNHS will build upon the work that local organisations have done to involve and engage local people to shape the services that they use.  Most recently Healthwatch in BLMK undertook a two month engagement programme to understand people’s general views, as well as specific experiences of cancer and mental health care, and what they would like to see available in the future. Over the next two months, teams will be talking to people and staff working in health and care services at public and staff events across BLMK. As part of this campaign, a dedicated stand will be in shopping centres or large supermarkets in Bedford, Luton, Milton Keynes and Central Bedfordshire (Dunstable, Biggleswade and Leighton Buzzard) during July, August and September. People will be able to take part in a short questionnaire and talk to members of the team about health and care services.

The main dates and locations are as follows:

• Tesco Dunstable, Saturday 27 July
• The Mall, Luton, 1-3 August (Thursday to Saturday)
• Harpur Centre, Bedford, 8-10 August (Thursday to Saturday)
• Centre MK, Milton Keynes, 12-14 September (Thursday to Saturday)

In addition, the engagement team will be out and about at local community events encouraging people and communities to share their views. A full calendar of events and meetings that the team will be attending is available on the BLMK ICS website – www.blmkpartnership.co.uk

The campaign will support the development of a five year plan for health and wellbeing for our area, based on feedback from local people and communities and developed by the 15 partners of the BLMK ICS*. This is partly in response to the NHS Long-term Plan which was published earlier this year and sets out the priorities and ambitions for the NHS to meet the changing needs of the country’s growing population.

BLMK ICS*

In 2016, NHS organisations and local councils came together to form 44 sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) covering the whole of England, and set out their proposals to improve health and care for patients.

In Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, the partnership evolved to form an integrated care system (ICS), a new type of even closer collaboration. In an integrated care system, NHS organisations, in partnership with local councils and others, take collective responsibility for managing resources, delivering NHS standards, and improving the health of the population they serve. BLMK was one of the first ten ICSs.  The NHS Long Term Plan calls for everywhere to have an ICS by 2021.

Media contacts:

Nicola Dowlen                         Email: nicola.dowlen@mkuh.nhs.uk
                                                Mobile: 07976 427210

Sam Holden                            Email: samuel.holden@mkuh.nhs.uk

To keep up to date with latest news, follow us at: 
Twitter:   @BLMK_STP
Website:www.blmkstp.co.uk