NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG’s) sixth Big Chat gave people a chance to give their views on their local NHS and how to shape future services so they are more effective and efficient.

Over 70 guests took part in workshop style discussions with professionals from the CCG around the challenges faced by the health service and they were asked for their views and ideas about the opportunities that exist to address them.

The workshop style sessions focused on four areas of healthcare that attendees were invited to give feedback on. These sessions explored how the CCG might reduce the estimated yearly £2 million cost of wasted medicines in Sefton, use technology to enhance health services and make them more efficient, commission care that offers the best medical outcomes for patients and change ways of working in GP practices, so that patients can be seen by the right professional first time to help surgeries to better respond to the increasing demands on health services.

Dr Andy Mimnagh, chair of NHS South Sefton CCG, said: “This was my first Big Chat event as chair of the CCG and I was really impressed with the turn out. People were keen to give their feedback and we had some great ideas and viewpoints from our workshop discussions and shared on our ‘innovation wall’.

“These are challenging times for the NHS and it’s more important than ever that we prioritise our resources effectively to ensure that all our patients have continued access to high quality, essential health services when they need them.

“We have to find savings of just over £10 million this financial year to meet our NHS budgetary requirement to achieve a 1% surplus, so like all other public services this will mean we have some difficult decisions to make in the months ahead and the views of our local residents are vital in moving this work forward.”

At the end of the event the audience took part in an interactive voting session to find out what people thought of the event and over 80% felt that Big Chat 6 had given them the opportunity to have their views heard.

Sefton Alzheimer’s Society was also at the event speaking about dementia and the difference that small things can make to those living with the condition. This is part of the CCG’s pledge to the Sefton Dementia Action Alliance to encourage people to become ‘Dementia Friends’.

Big Chats are a chance for the CCG to talk with the public about its latest projects and plans and hear what they think. The events are one of the ways that the CCG involves local residents in its work. Feedback from these events informs the CCG’s thinking about changes or developments to services.

The next Big Chat will take place on Thursday 8 September from 1-4pm and will combine the CCG’s annual review. For more information see our Big Chat page.