Summary version of our Case for Change (published July 2021)

Introduction

The New Hospitals Programme offers Lancashire and South Cumbria a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform our ageing hospitals and develop new, cutting-edge hospital facilities that offer the absolute best in modern healthcare. Our ambition is to make our region a world-leading centre of excellence for hospital care.

We have a clear process to follow in developing our proposals. Making our Case for Change is the first step on our region’s journey to new hospital facilities. The purpose of this document is to explain why the people of Lancashire and South Cumbria need new hospital estate.

This Case for Change has been developed in collaboration with experts: our clinicians, staff, patients, key stakeholders and representatives of the local communities we serve.

This summary version is a shortened version of the full Case for Change document.

We want to hear your feedback

Throughout this process, we are seeking the views of those who may be most impacted by any possible change. This includes our NHS staff, patients and representatives of the public, all of whom will be given the opportunity to contribute through the Big Chat online discussion, telephone research and in person at events and meetings. We are also carrying out public opinion research and holding focus groups.

To develop this Case for Change, we have:

• Listened to views, ideas and suggestions in dedicated Case for Change workshops with more than 100 people, including clinicians, staff, patients and key stakeholders.
• Undertaken a series of workshops
• involving patients, clinicians, staff and key stakeholders to understand how our hospital infrastructure impacts on care.
• Held listening meetings with elected representatives, community leaders and interested parties.
• Engaged in desktop research, data analysis and examination of the problems we face and how modern infrastructure can support us to address these challenges.
• Begun an online conversation, the Big Chat, with staff, Foundation Trust members and community leaders about their hopes, fears and expectations. We have recorded and analysed more than 20,141 interactions from the 7,340 visits as of 1 July 2021.

Some of the comments shared on the Big Chat are included in this document.

We have listened carefully and reflected on the evidence to help us produce this document, which sets out the problems we hope to address and the ambitions we have for the future.

The Case for Change

We believe the need for new hospital facilities in the region is unequivocal. The age, condition and layout of some of our existing hospital buildings mean that we must address this critical need if we are to serve both the current and future needs of our local population.

However, our ambitions go much further than providing new hospital infrastructure to meet the basic health needs of local people. We want to be part of a regional health system that is regarded as one of the best in the world and plays its part in revitalising the regional economy.

This document marks the beginning of our journey. We will continue to develop and shape our Case for Change and subsequent proposals as further evidence becomes available and we gather more insight and feedback from our patients, clinicians, staff and key stakeholders.