NHS survey aims to prevent West Midlands postcode lottery for treatment
Black Country residents are being invited to have their say on proposed changes to NHS treatment policies which aim to remove risks of a postcode lottery,
The merger of the four previous Black Country and West Birmingham clinical commissioning groups (BCWB CCGs) into one has seen bosses working to develop a single set of policies to cover Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
Previously there were small differences in the criteria for people to receive certain NHS treatments, depending on where they lived.
Dr Masood Ahmed, the Chief Medical Officer for BCWB CCG, said: “Our priority is to ensure the people of the Black Country and West Birmingham have equal access to safe, effective, high quality care, while also ensuring NHS resources are used wisely.
“This means making decisions about which healthcare services will and will not be provided by the NHS in our area.
"Our clinical policies are very important as they set out what these services are, and the criteria for them being provided.
“As we bring together four separate sets of policies, there will inevitably need to be small changes where different rules are being brought into line.
"That’s why we are engaging with people to get their views and ensure any changes we make are fair and appropriate, and in line with the latest clinical evidence.”
The policies being discussed include the criteria for procedures such as hip and knee replacements, weight loss surgery, fertility treatment and some types of cosmetic surgery.
People are invited to complete an online survey to let the CCG know about any impact the proposed changes might have for them.
There is a different survey depending on where you live:
• Dudley - surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Dudleypolicies
• Sandwell - surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Sandwellpolicies
• Walsall - surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Walsallpolicies
• Wolverhampton - surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Wolverhamptonpolicies
The CCG is also hosting virtual meetings with clinical leads, so people can ask questions and share their views:
• Dudley - Tuesday 8 February, 10am to 11am
• Sandwell - Tuesday 8 February, 4pm to 5pm • Walsall: Monday 14 February, 10am to 11am
• Wolverhampton - Monday 14 February, 2pm to 3pm
To book onto an event, or get support with accessing one of the surveys, contact the CCG’s Engagement Team on 0121 612 1447 or email BCWB.engagement@nhs.net
