NHS Cumbria – Barrow community engagement and health visioning
NHS Cumbria are working to health outcomes in Barrow – an area with significant health inequalities. As part of this work, they commissioned The Campaign Company to help them develop a shared vision for the future of healthcare in the area, developed with their key stakeholders and local residents.
We ran a series of focus groups with different stakeholders and members of the community to consider key issues and themes for the vision. Using the results of these groups alongside extensive research and benchmarking, we developed six scenarios for how services could be delivered in the future, across mental health, primary care and acute care. We took them back to our original focus groups, and worked with them to consider their preferences for health services in the area – from maternity provision to end of life care.
The PCT had originally believed that the best way to build momentum behind a vision for future healthcare was to emphasise that it is much less healthier than the rest of Cumbria. However, our research showed us that a better approach would be to create a much more local and relevant vision based around people's pride in the area.
As well as generating valuable insight for the PCT, this work enabled them to build strong relationships with elements of the community who have in the past been difficult for them to reach. This provides a basis for developing a network of community advocates to promote positive health messages in their own areas.