On  

2nd  

August  

2023,  

despite  

very  

short  

notice,  

69  

people  

from  

the  

Royston

area  

attended  

a  

Cambridge  

and  

Peterborough  

Integrated  

Care  

System  

(C&P

ICS)  

meeting  

in  

the  

Coombes  

Community  

Centre.  

The  

ICS  

wanted  

to  

hear

people’s  

experiences  

of  

accessing  

health  

care  

in  

Royston  

and  

learn  

about

what  

enhancements  

of  

present  

healthcare  

provision  

local  

people  

would  

like

to see.

After  

a  

short  

introduction,  

explaining  

that  

the  

purpose  

of  

the  

meeting  

was  

to

listen  

to  

residents’  

views  

of  

healthcare  

in  

the  

town  

and  

give  

substance  

to  

the

Let’s  

Talk  

–  

Royston  

survey  

currently  

running  

from  

30th  

June  

to  

11th  

August.

The survey responses stood at 1,600 as at 2nd August.

People were asked to discuss four key issues:

•

What services do we want and how far are we willing to travel?

•

What are our future health aspirations?

•

what would make Royston a happier and healthier place?

•

How to improve care and help people stay well for longer?

Discussion  

was  

wide  

ranging,  

considering  

many  

issues  

that  

contribute  

to

wellbeing   

other   

than   

healthcare   

services,   

such   

as   

community   

groups,

befriending  

services,  

social  

care  

navigators,  

recreational  

facilities  

and  

youth

services,   

reflecting   

the   

ethos   

of   

“integrated   

care”   

in   

the   

new   

healthcare

organisation   

that   

commissions   

healthcare   

services   

for   

Royston   

and   

its

necklace villages.

On  

healthcare  

infrastructure  

in  

the  

town,  

the  

need  

for  

locally  

accessible  

x-

ray,   

ultrasound   

scanning,   

minor   

injuries   

and   

chronic   

disease   

out-patient

clinics  

was  

strongly  

confirmed,  

with  

the  

difficulty  

of  

accessing  

services  

at  

the

major  

hospital  

sites  

being  

a  

factor.  

The  

lack  

of  

local  

NHS  

dentistry  

for  

adults

was  

noted.  

The  

need  

to  

exploit  

the  

use  

of  

facilities  

at  

Royston  

Hospital  

was

strongly  

supported  

with  

an  

end  

to  

the  

deliberate,  

gradual  

withdrawal  

of

services based at the hospital.

The  

meeting  

ended  

with  

the  

ICS  

team  

encouraging  

people  

to  

respond  

to  

the

survey  

at  

www.bit.ly/LetsTalkRoyston

 

or  

by  

paper  

copies  

available  

in  

Royston

Library  

and  

a  

promise  

that  

further  

meetings  

would  

be  

called  

to  

discuss  

plans

as they are developed by the ICS.

Following  

the  

meeting,  

the  

ICS  

team  

confirmed  

that  

the  

ICS  

was  

aware  

of  

a

recent  

change  

in  

HM  

Government  

policy  

that  

has  

ordained  

that  

should  

NHS

Property  

Services  

dispose  

of  

healthcare  

estate  

(i.e.  

Royston  

Hospital)  

half  

of

any funds so realised are to invested back into local healthcare provision.