Residents of the Wigton and Solway area are being invited to come and share their views on the current health and care proposals for their area.

Local people are invited to come and drop-in to The Methodist Church Hall in Wigton on Friday 8^thDecember from 9:30am until 2pm. There will be an opportunity to look at the proposed health and care plans, provide feedback on them and speak to members of the Solway Alliance who have helped to shape them. The plans have also been shaped with the help of people that have used health and care services and NHS staff who work in the area.

Dr Craig Melrose, Associate Medical Director for community services at Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said:

“Key members of the community have been involved in helping us share proposals for the future provision of health and care in the area.  Now we want to broaden that out to make sure as many other local people as possible come along and have their say too. 

“It’s not been an easy task however thanks to the input of everyone involved we now have what I think is a really good plan that will meet the health and care needs of people in Wigton and Solway.  It’s really important that the local community get involved too and provide their input and feedback as we develop it to ensure it works for them on a local level. We have already had great success in other areas and want to achieve the same in Wigton and Solway.

“We know that not everyone will be able to attend on the 8^th so to ensure as many people as possible can see the plans we will also display them at Aspatria and Silloth libraries the following week and have all of the information online after the event so that as many people as possible can have their say. ”

A variety of other local third sector and health care providers such as the Community Falls Prevention team in the area will also be available on the day for people to speak with and to find out more information.

Earlier in the year the decision was made by NHS Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group that the medical in-patient beds in Wigton, Alston and Maryport would close. As a result of this decision new health and care plans have been designed with the input of local alliances, including, the League of Friends, the public and the NHS as well as public health and social care. The proposed plans show how health and care can be provided to match the needs of those in the area without the in-patient beds.