All those who work in health and care across South Yorkshire want to ensure everyone in our diverse communities lives a happy, healthier life for longer. To achieve this we need to listen to our communities and those who use our NHS and care services.
Our ‘Start with People: South Yorkshire’ strategy, which was launched in July 2022 when NHS South Yorkshire was created, outlines how we listen to our communities and involve them in the way we provide NHS and care services.
Since then, a lot has changed including engaging and involving our citizens across South Yorkshire about ‘what matters to them, to shape our Strategy and Plan so that we can continually improve care and support. This has also given us a lot of learning about how we can improve the way we involve you. We are asking local citizens, NHS staff and partners to give their views to help us to update the Strategy. We welcome all feedback and comments, including how our communities want be involved and what could be improved from the strategy launched in 2022.
Will Cleary-Gray, NHS South Yorkshire Executive Director of Strategy and Partnerships, said: “Launching our first Start with People strategy in 2022 was a really important part of creating NHS South Yorkshire as an Integrated Care Board. We know so much has changed since then and we want to make sure our strategy for listening and involving our communities continues to meet the needs of those who live in South Yorkshire or use NHS and care services across the region.
“We also know that some of our communities in South Yorkshire have historically found it hard to give us their views because of the way we involved people in the past, so we are working hard to ensure we hear from people living in those communities to ensure that everyone in South Yorkshire has the opportunity to be heard.
“We very much welcome all views on our strategy as we continue to help people live a healthier and longer life, get fairer health outcomes for all our communities and make sure all our communities have access to quality health and wellbeing support and care.”
There are a range of ways people can give their views, including surveys, in-writing, online meetings, drop-ins across South Yorkshire, a readers panel and the opportunity for an NHS South Yorkshire representative to attend an existing meeting an organisation or group have.
The ‘Start with People: South Yorkshire’ strategy is being developed through until March 2024. For more information visit the NHS South Yorkshire website to find out how to get involved: Start With People: South Yorkshire :: South Yorkshire I.C.B (icb.nhs.uk)