Health forum to hear Brighton and Hove patients’ feedback
Health chiefs and a local watchdog are to share feedback from patients at an event in Brighton on Friday (9 December).
Healthwatch Brighton and Hove, a new watchdog, has been working with the Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to organise the event.
The event – the Citywide Health Forum – will include the feedback on urgent care services from patients, the public and what Healthwatch said were “traditionally excluded” groups.
It is being held for “stakeholders” and is taking place at the Brighthelm Centre, in North Road, Brighton, from 1pm to 4pm on Friday.
An event for the public is being held at the same venue from 10am to noon next Friday (13 December). The CCG said that all the places were fully booked. Another event is due to be held on Friday 24 January. To book a place, email susan.lloyd6@nhs.net.
The feedback covers
- GPs and GP out of hours services
- The walk-in centre
- Community pharmacy
- NHS 111
- Accident and Emergency (A&E) and Paediatric A&E
- The emergency dental service
Healthwatch said that there would be recommendations for action in all areas and the public’s views were welcome during discussions on how to take the recommendations forward.
The second part of the meeting will centre on gathering intelligence about local health and wellbeing services from voluntary sector groups and communities.
The meeting is taking place almost two years to the day that the Victoria NHS Walk-In Centre by the railway station in London closed (Friday 9 December 2011).
The centre was used by, among others, commuters from Brighton and Hove who struggled to make it to their own doctor during the working week.
A report by the NHS watchdog Monitor last month said that more than 50 walk-in centres had been closed although about 180 were still treating patients and proving popular.
Those that remain include the Brighton Station Walk-In Centre, in Queen’s Road, about a hundred yards from the front of the station. It opened in 2009.
Reggie Sangha, the lead GP, said: “There have been a lot of reports about walk-in centres closing and it’s caused some confusion.
Dr Sangha added: “I’ve been asked whether were closing. We’re not.
She added: “We have had our contract extended for a further year.”
Monitor said that walk-in centres were popular and helped to keep patients from going to accident and emergency (A&E) departments which have been under pressure across the country including in Brighton.
