22 Oct 2019, 4:19 p.m.

An independently chaired Engagement Hearing will be held in public on Thursday 24 October 2019 offering people an opportunity to share their ideas and views on developing urgent and specialist hospital care in Gloucestershire in the future.

The Hearing is also an opportunity for individuals and groups to share their thoughts on what they think should be taken into account, or what they think is essential, in arriving at the best solutions for services. The hearing is being streamed live from 11.30am - 5pm.

A panel of experienced doctors and other healthcare professionals will be on hand to listen to people’s views and ideas and consider, explore and discuss them together.

The panel will listen to people’s ideas and views on developing community urgent care and also on how specialist hospital care could be provided across the Cheltenham General and Gloucestershire Royal hospital sites in the future.

This includes specific ideas and views relating to Accident, Emergency and Assessment Services (including A&E), General Surgery and Image Guided Surgery.

Medical Director at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Professor Mark Pietroni said:

“The Fit for the Future engagement is an open, two way dialogue and the Hearing is an important part of that. We look forward to the involvement of all participants on Thursday and to hearing their ideas.

Whilst some ideas have already been shared as part of the engagement process, no decisions have made been made about how, and from where, services will be provided in the future. The Hearing is another way of listening to views as a range of potential solutions are developed.”

Chair of the Hearing, Nick Duffin from the Consultation Institute (tCI), said:

“Engagement Hearings are an opportunity for good quality discussion and give individuals and organisations the chance to submit views and ideas as part of a recorded event. It is good to see this type of approach being used in Gloucestershire to inform planning and I’m pleased to be involved.”

-END-

Note to Editors

To request a media interview with Nick Duffin, please contact: 07735 002822.

The Engagement Hearing will be held on Thursday 24 October, between 11.30am and 5pm at the Chase Hotel, Shurdington Road, GL3 4PB.

The deadline for potential participants to take part has passed.

However, if people wish to attend as observers and watch/listen to the Hearing there are limited places available by contacting GLCCG.participation@nhs.net or by calling 0300 421 1514 and leaving a message. These places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

The Hearing will also be live streamed and available to view at: www.actionimageproductions.com/nhs241020