THE biggest ever debate about the future of healthcare in the city is being launched this week.
The Big Health Debate is a city-wide campaign which will highlight why local services need to change, with the three local Primary Care Trusts asking Liverpool people to help them decide how.
The campaign focuses on outside of hospital care, including services provided by GPs and community nurses
The Liverpool Primary Care Trusts have an additional £70 million to spend over the next year, which has been allocated to achieve health improvements and reduce the health inequalities gap – the gap between those with the best and the worst health - in the city.
Ambitious ideas for future improvements could bring major investment in new health centres with neighbouring GP practices coming together in state-of-the-art buildings which would serve whole neighbourhoods.
These centres could also offer better access to diagnostic tests, minor surgery, other community facilities and an opportunity to bring together health and social care services. However plans will not be considered until the public has been involved in this debate.
In addition new community hospitals could be developed, complementing the bigger specialist local hospitals.
The campaign target is to make contact with 40,000 people over a three month period via the Big Health Debate website, by encouraging people to fill in the survey and through community and voluntary organisations.
