When it comes to commissioning services, we know the best results come from working together with our local communities.
Below are the different ways you can get involved in shaping how healthcare is planned and delivered in Kent and Medway.
Visit our Have Your Say platform to share your views on health and care issues in your local area and across Kent and Medway.
Please register on the site so that you can comment on our current projects. Registering also lets you to select areas of interest and sign up for notifications about new projects.
Public roadshows and community events
We know people care deeply about their local health and care services and are keen to share their views and experience of using services to improve the quality of care we deliver.
Public roadshows
Our team are often meeting people, hearing about how services are working in their area and discussing any plans we have for service improvement. Sometimes we have a stand in busy shopping centres or marketplaces, sometimes we join other teams on vaccine buses or when they are running public health check-ups. People are always kind enough to stop and have a chat and take the opportunity to ask us questions about health and care services.
Community events
We often attend community events, meetings, or conferences which other groups are hosting to make sure NHS Kent and Medway stays in touch with local communities. We share our news and offer people a chance to raise issues about services or share ideas on projects where we are looking to improve care. This year we have attended freshers’ fairs, patient forums, wellbeing events, older people’s forums, community safety partnerships and voluntary and community networks.
All of which help to build a network of connections, helping local communities develop relationships with our partners across the health and care system, as well as locally with primary care networks and the new health and care partnerships.
General practices in Kent and Medway each have their own Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) who work with them to improve their services.
The PPGs consider how services can be improved in their surgeries and liaise with the local community, sharing important health messages.
Some of them hold events and meetings for patients. Please contact your own surgery for more details.
Health and care partnerships liaise with PPGs and some hold regular meetings. The Communications and Engagement Team has developed training for general practice on developing and listening to PPGs, for more information please contact kmicb.engagecomms@nhs.net.
In Kent and Medway a single approach to the inclusion of lived experience has been developed by partners across the NHS and local councils. The Lived Experience Engagement and Employment Framework can be found here.
Sign up to our regular bulletin News For You for up to date information on health and care in Kent and Medway and for regular opportunities to have your say and get involved.