Oxfordshire residents are invited to share their experiences of health and social care services by meeting with senior figures in the NHS and Oxfordshire County Council as part of an event roadshow this summer.

The health and social care connections roadshow will be hosted by the local NHS – led by Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB) – in partnership with the county council, which is responsible for the provision of statutory adult social care services.

Working with partners including Age UK Oxfordshire, the Oxfordshire Play Association and Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action, the roadshow will visit a range of pre-existing community events, as well as smaller gatherings, to have conversations with people about their experience of health and care services in the county.

Karen Fuller, Oxfordshire County Council’s Director of Adult Social Care, said: “The way that health and social care is being delivered in the county is changing. The council’s adult social care services and local NHS work as one ‘Team Oxfordshire’, helping to support more people to live as independently as possible, closer to home. It’s something we call the Oxfordshire Way.

“We’re committed to getting out and about this summer, visiting as many residents as possible, listening to their experiences and learning from them to help develop a system that’s fit for the future.”

As well as hearing from residents, senior leaders will be offering an insight into the future of health and social care, including talking through the newer services being delivered closer to home. These include:

  • Discharge to Assess – a programme that supports people to return home from hospital as soon as they are medically fit to do so, including the provision of immediate support at home to help with a person’s continued recovery.
  • Hospital at Home – providing clinical support, that was traditionally only available in a hospital setting, in a person’s home.
  • Urgent Community Response – a combination of services providing urgent care at home rather than going to A&E.
  • Integrated Neighbourhood Teams – bringing traditional services from primary and secondary care, including GPs, pharmacies and mental health services, together with social care providers and the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, making sure there is coordinated, patient-centred care to support people safely at home.

Dan Leveson, Place Director for Oxfordshire at Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board, said: “We know that change can be difficult, but we also know from our positive experience with engagement around Wantage Community Hospital, that taking the time to meet the public and listen to them makes a real difference.

“These community engagement events are a real priority for us this summer and I look forward to meeting as many people as possible to talk about health and social care.”

An up to date list of places where the health and social care connections roadshow is visiting can be found on the BOB ICB webpage.