We want to hear from you, our residents and staff who make up our communities across Norfolk and Waveney.

Hundreds of people helpfully shared their views earlier this year about what they think we should focus on, to improve health and care services more generally across Norfolk and Waveney. Part of this invaluable feedback was focussed on community services, such as community mental health services, health visiting services, and support for people who have left hospital, to help with their recovery journey.

Using this vital feedback, we have started an important piece of work to listen to our residents, staff and communities to further understand what people think about health and social care services in the community.

This is a crucial part of the journey to make sure that your thoughts and views are firmly embedded into describing what the future vision for community services across Norfolk and Waveney should look like and how we can improve outcomes and experiences for both residents and staff.

To ensure we can listen to as many people as possible, to help influence and inform this important review, there are several ways you can get involved.

Five online workshops will take place throughout July and August. Each workshop will be tailored to different localities across Norfolk and Waveney, to consider local perspectives, based on our residents who live there and ensure local issues, challenges and gaps are used as helpful context.

Each resident engagement workshop will be open to all residents living in Norfolk and Waveney, covering five broad areas, which are more commonly known in our Integrated Care System (ICS) as ‘places’. Place-based partnerships bring together the NHS, local councils and voluntary organisations, residents, people who access services, carers and families. These partnerships will lead design and delivery of integrated services in their local area.

• South Norfolk – towns and villages, such as Thetford, Long Stratton and Harleston. The South Norfolk event takes place on Wednesday 12 July 2023, 2-3pm (please register to secure your place). This event will be led by local Place Board Chair, Dr Ge Yu
• Norwich – the city centre, towns and villages which make up Norwich. The Norwich event takes place on Wednesday 19 July 2023, 5-6pm (please register to secure your place). This event will be led by local Place Board Chair, Tracy Williams
• North Norfolk – towns and villages such as Fakenham, Wells-next-the-sea, Aylsham and Holt. The North Norfolk event takes place on Friday 21 July 2023, 1-2pm (please register to secure your place). This event will be led by local Place Board Chair, Dr James Gair.
• Great Yarmouth and Waveney – areas such as Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Beccles, Bungay and Waveney as a whole. The Great Yarmouth and Waveney event takes place on Tuesday 1 August 2023, 5-6pm (please register to secure your place). This event will be led by local Place Board Chair, Jonathan Barber.
• West Norfolk – towns and villages such as King’s Lynn, Downham Market, Dersingham, Heacham and Hunstanton. The West Norfolk event takes place on Thursday 10 August 2023, 1-2pm (please register to secure your place). This event will be led by local Place Board Chair, Carly West-Burnham.

In addition, a short survey is available to capture the views and thoughts of people who cannot attend one of our online events. The survey will be open until Sunday 12 August 2023.

Andrew Palmer, Executive Director of Performance, Transformation and Strategy and Deputy Chief Executive, NHS Norfolk and Waveney, said: “This review of community services across Norfolk and Waveney is an important step as we look to the future of what health and care services in our local communities should look like.

“We’re on a mission to wrap health and care services around local people, and to ensure care is provided at the right time and in the right place. As a health and care system, we are committed to listening to local people and supporting our residents to take more control of their own health and care, preventing hospital admission and reducing health inequalities that exist across our communities.

“We want to work with our residents, staff and communities across Norfolk and Waveney on this important journey, to ensure community health services support people of all ages wherever they live.

“I encourage everyone to get involved and have their say.”

Further information about the community services review is available on the Norfolk and Waveney ICS website.