Public meeting to discuss future of health service

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Public meeting to discuss future of health service

A public meeting to discuss proposals to change the shape and size of Primary Care Trusts and the local Strategic Health Authority will be held in Cirencester on February 22.


Cotswold District Council is hosting the meeting at its Trinity Road HQ at 3pm on behalf of Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority (SHA) who are currently conducting a three-month consultation on the options.
The SHA is proposing to reduce the number of PCTs from twelve to:

* Either seven PCTs consisting of Bristol, Wiltshire, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset (BANES).
* Or a total of three PCTs � one each for Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and the Bristol/South Gloucestershire/North Somerset areas. Within this option, the SHA would like to hear people's views on whether BaNES should join with Bristol/South Gloucestershire/North Somerset or with Wiltshire, and whether Swindon should join with Wiltshire or Gloucestershire.

The SHA also wants to hear people's opinions on two proposed options for the future of Strategic Health Authorities:
* Either one Strategic Health Authority matching South West Government Regional Office Boundaries (Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset, Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire)
* Or two Strategic Health Authorities; one for Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset and one for Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire

Cotswold District Council's Health Policy Officer Bill Wragge said: "Senior Managers of the Strategic Health Authority will be present at the meeting to set out the proposals and answer questions about how they will lead to more patient-centred services and improved co-ordination with Social Services through greater conference of PCT and Local Authority boundaries."

"The reduction of the number of PCTs nationally will allow more resources to be put into frontline services, and in the community. GPs are to take on a new commissioning role, and the healthcare market will include a more diverse market of independent providers."

The public meeting is one of more than 100 organised by the SHA during the consultation period, which ends on March 22nd 2006. All are welcome to attend the meeting, which takes place in the Council Chamber.

Posted : 13/02/2006 18:35:06

PLEASE NOTE: This story has been archived and the information contained within it may no longer be correct.


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