Somerset residents with access to Dorset’s health services are being asked to give their views about proposals which have been developed by local doctors and health professionals, representative groups of patients and the public that could see major changes to acute hospital and community care services in Dorset.
Proposals include changes to the larger hospitals in the county and bringing more care closer to home through the development of community services hubs.
If agreed, the changes will help Dorset to deliver its forward-looking five year plan for improving health and care services, which are published in the local Sustainability and Transformation Plan.
The Clinical Services Review was launched in response to major challenges which health and care face both in Dorset and across the rest of the country.
These include:
- a growing population with more people living longer
- an increasing demand on services
- workforce shortages that will be difficult to fill
- variations in the quality of care
- a potential funding gap of at least £158m per year by 2020
Making the changes proposed in the CSR would mean high quality services would continue in Dorset for the future and more lives could be saved.
Read more about the proposed changes, watch the short animated films and complete the online questionnaire at www.dorsetsvision.nhs.uk Paper copies of consultation documents including questionnaires are available on request via involve@dorsetccg.nhs.uk or tel 01202 541946 and can be sent to Somerset GP practices. Easy read questionnaires are also available
The consultation runs until 28 February 2017.