Whats the CCG? And how can we influence services?

So last week at the Cotswolds Prostate Cancer Support meeting there was over 40 guys plus some partners to hear Becky Parish, the Associate Director Engagement and Experience of Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). She started by giving a six minute overview of the CCG. You can see edited highlights in my film below.

There is also a great animation by the King’s Fund who give a whistle-stop tour of how the NHS works in 2017 and how it’s changing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEARD4I3xtE

Paving at Penny Brohn

The second part of the talk (see my film below) went into more about how the CCG engages with folk in Gloucestershire; this included how complaints and comments help shape services, the use of surveys, patient groups in GP surgeries, the Info bus that gets out and about across Gloucestershire and the Gloucestershire Cancer Patient Reference Group. I think this Cancer Reference Group is the only medical condition that has such a group and it is also not common to have such groups in other parts of the country. However it sounded like a powerful way to get the patient voice heard and has already helped set up a new Support Group for people with Colon Cancer and helped shape the MacMillan Next Steps programme.

I’m not sure I’m ready to dive into being a member of that group yet, but can see it could be a useful vehicle to raise many issues that I hear from others with cancer…although not all relevent to the Reference Group we always have some great questions and conversations at the Support Group. At the meeting last week here are some of the issues discussed:

Why is the message about diet/exercise/lifestyle not coming more from doctors? 

Why are folk cut off from both oncology services and Macmillan support when they seek private treatment? 

How can we improve consistency around PSA testing? 

Why can’t there be a more open conversation about complimentary medicine?

Could we do more PSA testing in the County?

I understand the Group will be inviting CCG representatives again so hopefully a chance to explore some of these issues further.

Thanks to Becky Parish for allowing me to film at very short notice; the editing is all mine so apologies if any of the editing makes Becky’s talk less clear.