First public board meeting for Wyre Forest CCG (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

First public board meeting for Wyre Forest CCG

8:00am Sunday 6th January 2013 in News By William Tomaney

WYRE Forest residents will have the chance, for the first time, to meet the board in charge of overseeing the commissioning of their healthcare.

The district’s Clinical Commissioning Group (WFCCG) will hold its board meeting in public on Tuesday, January 8, from 9am until 12.30pm at the Corn Exchange at Kidderminster Town Hall.

The body is set to take over responsibility for planning and buying most of the health services needed by people living in the district when it comes out of shadow form in April, as part of the Government’s controversial NHS reforms.

During the past year, WFCCG has worked alongside NHS Worcestershire in many areas including negotiating and managing county healthcare contracts.

Members of the public will have the opportunity to ask the CCG board questions about agenda items at this first public board meeting, with 20 minutes set aside for questions from the floor at the end of the meeting.

Items on the agenda include the quality and patient safety report and patient and public involvement. There will also be an update on the virtual ward system which allows patients most at risk of admission to hospital to be identified and given care in their own home, tailored to their specific needs.

Dr Simon Gates, WFCCG chairman and clinical leader, said: “The CCG welcomes any member of the public to attend our board meetings.

“It is really important the public are able to see how we make decisions on their behalf on health issues and our local community are able to express their views on what we do. These meetings are one of many opportunities to do this.”

For more information, visit wyreforestccg.nhs.uk