Steve Brine held the latest in his ASKtheNHS series with a public meeting this evening, focusing on the future of the local NHS.
The event heard from a top panel of key local clinicians, Alex Whitfield, HHFT Chief Executive, Lara Alloway (Chief Medical Officer at HHFT) and Dr Matt Nisbet; Associate Clinical Director at the CCG.
The focus of this virtual meeting, the fourth in Mr Brine's ASKtheNHS series, came as HHFT’s Hampshire Together programme to look at plans to deliver a new hospital to serve the people of north and mid Hampshire and how the emerging integrated care system will bring together GPs, mental health, community care, social care and the wider voluntary sector.
It reported back in September with six options; mostly centred around the future of emergency care, consultant-led maternity care and intensive care at Winchester and Basingstoke hospitals.
The meeting heard presentations from the panel and included a detailed Q&A with members of the public who raised issues raised including the future of RHCH’s services, plans for the new hospital and the Covid catch-up.
Speaking after the event, Steve Brine said: "I’m really glad we got this meeting together as throughout the past year the NHS has been at the core of our society and it was a perfect opportunity for constituents to hear first-hand Covid-19’s effect on our local services, but more importantly how the local trust plans to get services back to normal.
"With plans for changes to our local health services being made now, it was vital to engage constituents with the people who make the decisions and I, for one, found it incredibly useful to hear views as we move forward.
"I look forward to holding another similar meeting soon, hopefully physically next time!”
Alex Whitfield, of HHFT, added; "Thank you to Steve for organising. It was great to have a chance to talk to some of the people of Winchester."
Pictured; The meeting underway via zoom.
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