Submitted by Daniel Mapp on Thu, 06/01/2011 - 15:44
More face-to-face communication is key to getting communities involved in commissioning, according to participants at a recent workshop.
The Westminster Community Network and Westminster LINk hosted a workshop on involving people in commissioning.
The workshop looked at the first stage of commissioning – finding out what the needs of local communities are.
Presentations and group discussions focused on how local people and organisations could get involved in this process.
NHS Westminster gave a (very good) presentation on how decisions are made about what services are needed in Westminster
Emily Bigland and Bethan Searle from NHS Westminster gave a presentation on what “need” means, and how we can find out what people need in Westminster.
Download a presentation on how need is assessed
Group discussions focused on practical ways that local people could get more involved in identifying needs
Lots of people said that there should be more face-to-face communication, through community events, and through involving voluntary and community groups.
Read the workshop notes and participant listings
More information about the process of identifying need is available online
The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment website has lots of information about the different health needs of communities in Westminster, including things like mental health, older people and sexual health.