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NHS South Yorkshire has launched ‘Start with People: South Yorkshire’, the strategy which sets out how they work alongside people and local communities to bring their experiences and voice into the shaping health and wellbeing plans and services. 

The involvement strategy is a refresh of the first one, which was published when the organisation was set up in 2022.  It has been developed following extensive conversations with people across a broad range of groups and places in South Yorkshire.  

Healthwatch organisations from across the four areas worked with NHS South Yorkshire to talk to local voluntary and community groups as well as visiting libraries and local events to get feedback about how people want to get involved. 

Around nine hundred individuals and groups were represented in the conversations with Healthwatch. These included people using food banks, memory cafes, domestic abuse services as well as veterans and groups for young people. Healthwatch targeted groups where people often experience the biggest challenges to their health and wellbeing and often don’t have their voices heard when it comes to saying what matters most to them. 

Lesley Dabell, non-executive member with responsibility for citizen involvement at NHS South Yorkshire said: “I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to this strategy. We’ve come away with a really clear set of priorities which will guide the way we work with local people and communities. This is going to be an exciting piece of work and I can’t wait to progress it further.” 

NHS South Yorkshire already has a wide range of ways it encourages people to get involved and have their say. It is hoped that the priorities people came up with will now make it easier and more inviting for others to do the same. 

Some of the main things that people fed back included working more with the voluntary and community sector who are already at the heart of their communities and are trusted by those who use them.  

Many people said that they like the pick and mix approach to getting involved which is offered. For some, that might be by completing a survey, for others who have lived with the experience of things like cancer or stroke, they were keen to share their experiences to help others and advise those working in the healthcare teams. 

Finally, one of the main themes was that people wanted to hear more about how their feedback was being used and if it was making a difference.  

The strategy runs from 2024 through to 2028 and sets out a range of actions based on the feedback. Regular updates will be shared through the NHS South Yorkshire meetings in public, social media channels and in local newspapers, as well as going back to those who helped shape the strategy. 

For more information and to read the full strategy or a summary version visit Start With People: South Yorkshire 2024 - 2028 :: South Yorkshire I.C.B (syics.co.uk)