Insch area residents urged to make their views known on health provision
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
The Aberdeenshire Integration Joint Board (IJB) agreed at the May 19 meeting to carry out a Strategic Needs Assessment of health and social care provision and services in Insch and the surrounding areas.
A Strategic Needs Assessment is a process which brings together health and social care service providers, third sector, data and the community to look at what provision there is now and how it can be improved and adapted to meet the current and future needs of the area population.
Chair of the Integration Joint Board, Rhona Atkinson, said: “This is a really exciting piece of work which will allow each and every member of the community to help shape future service provision in the area.
“As an IJB we are all too aware of the increasing demographic, financial and workforce pressures that our services face and it is our duty to ensure that every area of Aberdeenshire has robust and sustainable services that work now, and long into the future.”
“There has been much local interest in the future use of Insch War Memorial Hospital and this work will help to shape how such a well-loved resource can be used in the future.”
The work has already begun with officers pulling together demographic data and working closely with the Insch Medical Practice to assess health needs in the area and with other local providers of social care.
There is a dedicated webpage for people to get in touch with project officers to be part of the project and to highlight any other local groups that we may not already be aware of https://engage.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/insch-strategic-needs-assessment
It is our intention to hold a series of online and, restrictions allowing, face to face information and engagement events in the last two weeks of August.
There will also be opportunities for people to tell us their views and thoughts through an online survey which will be shared soon.
Vice chair of the Integration Joint Board, councillor Anne Stirling, said: “To do this well, the needs and voices of the community must be heard, so, I would really urge individuals and community groups to get involved.
"We have a comprehensive engagement plan which will allow everyone to have their say and I am really looking forward to seeing the outcome of that engagement and future service delivery plan back at IJB soon.”
Following collation of all the information gathered by speaking with the community and engaging with partners a series of options will be developed and presented to the Insch Community giving them a further opportunity to help shape the future of services in their area.
It is anticipated that a paper containing the preferred options of the Community and associated information will be presented to the November 3 meeting of the Aberdeenshire IJB.
