Having your say on healthcare cash

LAURIE DEVITT

PEOPLE in South Derbyshire are being urged to have their say on whether health chiefs should fork out for life-saving cancer drugs and other issues affecting the level of healthcare they receive.

Derbyshire County Primary Care Trust (PCT), which oversees health care provision in the district, is launching a public consultation process to uncover exactly what people want their money to be spent on.

The organisation will be quizzing people on issues including cancer prevention and palliative care, smoking and lung cancer, making hospitals cleaner or giving rapid access to care for non-urgent conditions, and what provision should be made when a hospital closes or a service needs changing from one area to another.

During two interactive events entitled Have Your Say on the Decisions Made in the NHS, patients and members of the public will get the chance to find out more about how decisions that affect their health are made by the PCT and give them an opportunity to influence the process.

They will take place in Swanwick, near Derby, on Thursday, September 11, and in Bakewell on Tuesday, October 7, between 9.30am and 4.30pm.

The PCT will pay for any local travel expenses for the free events.

There will be a number of interactive activities and presentations from key PCT figures throughout the day.

Head of public and patient involvement Pam Purdue said: "Although the discussions will be complex, the day is intended to help patients and public understand what lies behind the headlines that they may have seen where patients have been denied drugs, how they can contribute to decisions made about their health services, and what the PCT is all about.

"Anything that gets discussed at this event will get fed back to the PCT's board and decision-making process."

South Derbyshire 50-Plus Forum chairman Gill Farrington said: "We are definitely taking a group to the meeting in Swanwick.

"We would like to see an end to the postcode lottery for drug care and we will be asking questions about the provision of dental care.

"In truth, we have been asking these questions for a while. Hopefully, we will get something out of the day.

"I think the Trust realise they are going to be held accountable for their decisions now, and if you aren't there to make your feelings known then you can't really complain if nothing happens."

Free lunch and refreshments will be provided and more information is available by telephoning 0115 9316211 or 01298 212272.