Public's feedback on Sunderland urgent care centre plans to be revealed

NHS Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is inviting people to hear what the public thought of its plans for urgent care following the end of the consultation on 2 September.

At the beginning of May, the CCG unveiled its proposals for a new system of Urgent Care for Sunderland.

Currently, patients can go for treatment on injuries which are not life-threatening at primary care centres in Houghton, Washington and Bunny Hill.

The proposals would see would see urgent care services only be available at Pallion Health Centre - which is next to Sunderland Royal Hospital - and some GP practices offering urgent and planned appointments on evenings and weekends.

Between May and September over 2,500 people provided feedback through surveys, public events, focus groups, email and over the phone.

The findings of the urgent care consultation and draft report will be shared with the public on Monday, October 1, between 6pm and 8pm at Bede Tower, close to Sunderland city centre.

Ann Fox, director of nursing, quality and safety, said: “Getting these services right is hugely important for the people of Sunderland, as it is for us.

“The CCG is now engaged in a period of intelligent consideration of the feedback received and it will be extremely influential in how we shape future urgent care services.”

The CCG has said it will use “all of the feedback it received” to help inform and shape its decision.

This includes:

*Public feedback sessions including the bespoke travel and transport sessions

*Focus groups held with the voluntary sector

*All letters, emails and phone calls received

*Financial information

*Feedback from clinicians

*Modelling on the number of staff available and people currently using the services

The report will be published on the CCG website sunderlandccg.nhs.uk from October 1 along with an easy read summary of the report and an audio version.

Members of the public will have until October 14 to give any further comments on the draft feedback report.

Details of the consultation can be found at http://www.sunderlandccg.nhs.uk/get-involved/urgent-care-services/public-consultation-get-involved/

For those who can’t attend on October 1, the event will also be streamed live on Facebook at @Sunderlandhealth.

The CCG is also organising an additional feedback event during the day, for those who can’t attend at 6pm to 8pm.