How Northumberland patients can quiz health chiefs during pandemic

NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which plans and buys the county’s healthcare, will give its annual update later this month and is asking the public to submit questions.

The CCG’s annual public meeting for 2019-20 will be different due to Covid-19, with presentations and videos being uploaded to www.northumberlandccg.nhs.uk from Wednesday, September 23.

These will provide an update on performance, the financial position and the work the CCG has done to identify and address health and care needs in Northumberland, while also reflecting on achievements during 2019-20.

Dr Graham Syers, the CCG’s clinical chairman, said: “While we are changing how we engage with people this year, it is very important to us that we retain the transparency we have always had with our communities and are able to give them a detailed update.

“While virtual meetings can be a very good alternative to meeting in person, they sometimes don’t work as well for meetings like this one as a result of the various challenges that come with working remotely – and from home in many cases.

“Because of this we’ve decided upload information to our website, including pre-recorded individual sections of the meeting, for people to read and watch at their leisure without any technological interference or interruptions.”

The public will also have an opportunity to have their questions answered and hear from Dr Syers, chief operating officer Siobhan Brown, accountable officer Mark Adams, lay chairman Janet Guy and chief finance officer Jon Connolly.

“We’re always keen to hear from the public about how we can improve healthcare services and what works well,” Dr Syers added.

“We appreciate that how services have been delivered over the last few months has been very different to what people are used to. We’re keen to further understand how this has impacted on people and their health and wellbeing.”

Members of the public are invited to submit any questions by email to Rachael Long at [email protected] by Wednesday, September 16.

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