Programme overview

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Shaping Care Together is an NHS programme aimed at changing the way we provide health and care services in Southport, Formby and West Lancashire.

It is a partnership programme between Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and the Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside and NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria.

The programme involves some NHS services provided in Southport, Formby and West Lancashire. This includes the district hospitals in Southport and Ormskirk as well as several community hospital sites and services.

Much of the NHS was designed decades ago to respond to the health needs of the population at that time. It’s right therefore, that from time to time, we take stock of how we do things so that we can make sure that we’re set up to face today’s challenges.

But we also need to prepare our local NHS to meet future needs and expectations, delivering high-quality services that are both safe and sustainable. Shaping Care Together is about finding ways to make the best use of our staff, money and other resources to do just that.

We know that changing too much and too often can be disruptive and costly, but we are confident that now is the right time to look for new and better ways to run our local NHS. Working together with our patients, our dedicated healthcare professionals, and our partners, we are confident we can get this right.

Since Shaping Care Together was first launched, we have been listening to all those affected by, and involved in the provision of health and care services. We have tried to get as many people as possible to share their experiences and to contribute their thoughts and ideas about what works well, and what doesn’t, and to help us see what good should look like, today and in the future.

Our initial listening and engagement activities have helped shape our thinking as we begin the conversation about what and how to change. We now know some of the things that matter most to people, such as:

  • Reducing waiting times for outpatient appointments.
  • Receiving the best possible care, even if that means having to travel a little further.
  • Having care provided closer to home and in the local community wherever possible.

Our next task is to develop a range of options for the changes we will need to make, that allow us to deliver the healthcare that people need. To help us do that, we will continue to involve, engage and listen, ensuring that the views of the people we serve are central to shaping these services.

Shaping Care Together is an NHS programme aimed at changing the way we provide health and care services in Southport, Formby and West Lancashire.

It is a partnership programme between Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and the Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside and NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria.

The programme involves some NHS services provided in Southport, Formby and West Lancashire. This includes the district hospitals in Southport and Ormskirk as well as several community hospital sites and services.

Much of the NHS was designed decades ago to respond to the health needs of the population at that time. It’s right therefore, that from time to time, we take stock of how we do things so that we can make sure that we’re set up to face today’s challenges.

But we also need to prepare our local NHS to meet future needs and expectations, delivering high-quality services that are both safe and sustainable. Shaping Care Together is about finding ways to make the best use of our staff, money and other resources to do just that.

We know that changing too much and too often can be disruptive and costly, but we are confident that now is the right time to look for new and better ways to run our local NHS. Working together with our patients, our dedicated healthcare professionals, and our partners, we are confident we can get this right.

Since Shaping Care Together was first launched, we have been listening to all those affected by, and involved in the provision of health and care services. We have tried to get as many people as possible to share their experiences and to contribute their thoughts and ideas about what works well, and what doesn’t, and to help us see what good should look like, today and in the future.

Our initial listening and engagement activities have helped shape our thinking as we begin the conversation about what and how to change. We now know some of the things that matter most to people, such as:

  • Reducing waiting times for outpatient appointments.
  • Receiving the best possible care, even if that means having to travel a little further.
  • Having care provided closer to home and in the local community wherever possible.

Our next task is to develop a range of options for the changes we will need to make, that allow us to deliver the healthcare that people need. To help us do that, we will continue to involve, engage and listen, ensuring that the views of the people we serve are central to shaping these services.