Local people gather to discuss community aid development.
The future of community and mental health services in Milton Keynes took centre stage at a recent major health event.
Residents of MK joined more than 200 people, including patients, carers, frontline health and care professionals, councillors and youth councils at a meeting in Milton Keynes, to give Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board their views on current service provision and options for future development.
The event heard from experts about their aspirations and priorities for future development of health services. The Government has set out three key shifts – from sickness to prevention, from analogue to digital, and from hospital to community – which aim to bring health services up to date, reflecting both changes in society and the technologies available.
Feedback from this event will help local health planners to improve and modernise community and mental health services, making sure they meet the needs of a growing and changing population.
“It’s vital that we hear directly from people who have experience of using our services,” said Kathy Nelson, programme director for community and mental health transformation at Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board.
“Their insights are a vital element of the fact-finding we are undertaking, so that we can truly make a difference.
“Whilst it’s good to hear about occasions when patients and carers have got the support they need first time, arguably we learn far more from less positive experiences so that we can make changes and get it right in future.”
