Council enquiry into NHS transformation plan
Members of Darlington Borough Council will consider the draft NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) at an upcoming special meeting.
The draft plan, published by Darlington Clinical Commissioning Group, proposes some potentially big changes to the way health services are provided in the area, both in and out of hospital.
The special meeting, at 1pm on Friday 17 February, will take the form of an enquiry into the STP, to enable councillors to hear representations and evidence on how it may impact on people in Darlington and the surrounding areas who use health services, including Darlington Memorial Hospital.
Councillor Andy Scott, cabinet member for health and partnerships, said: “We hope this event will be well attended, both by members of the public and those with a specific interest in the NHS.
“I know many people have concerns about the plans. We will all rely on the NHS at some point in our lives, so the future of NHS services in Darlington is an issue that affects everyone.
“Members of the public are welcome to attend, not just those living in Darlington but people further afield in South Durham and North Yorkshire who feel they may be affected by the proposals.”
Members of the public may like to observe or speak at the enquiry. In the event that more people would like to speak than time will allow, priority will be given to speakers with evidence and relevant expertise.
Anyone wishing to speak at the enquiry must register an interest in advance. To register, email [email protected] by Friday 10 February 2017, giving further information about the points you would like to make. Depending on the number of people who wish to speak, there may be a time restriction on each submission.
To help accommodate the people who will not be able to attend the enquiry, or where we are unable to give them an opportunity to speak at the enquiry, an online form has been set up for people to leave their comments, which will be published on the website.
What is the format of the Special Council meeting and enquiry?
The Special Council meeting will be opened and then adjourned to allow the enquiry to take place. The STP team will be invited to present the plan and take questions from elected members, before stakeholders and members of the public who have registered an interest give their views and evidence on any aspect of the plan.
At the conclusion of the evidence submissions, the STP team will have a chance to give a response to what has been said. Special Council will then be reconvened to consider the Council’s view of the Plan.