Healthwatch Herefordshire will be holding a public meeting in Ross-on-Wye next month, where local residents will have the opportunity to share their views on community health and care services.

This public meeting will take place on September 5th at the Larruperz Centre in Ross-on-Wye, between 6pm and 8.30pm.

The event will be the latest in a series of meetings, where local people give their views on how they would like health services to develop in the future.

Healthwatch Herefordshire need views from local residents in order to influence how services are planned and delivered in the area.

Another public meeting took place in Ross on Tuesday, July 18th, when the NHS Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) visited the Ryefield Centre. Despite short notice - the Ross Gazette was only informed of the meeting six days before it was due to take place - dozens of local residents attended and took part in the discussion.

Since that event, Herefordshire CCG have returned to Ross. They visited Pendeen Surgery recently, but the event was not advertised, as the organisers were aiming to speak to patients waiting for their appointments, rather than encourage people to drop in.

There will be several other drop-in sessions at local doctors surgeries over the next few months.

At the forthcoming public meeting, Healthwatch Herefordshire will be holding a workshop exercise where residents can share their views on: Healthcare in the community such as; GP services, Mental health care, care at home, district nursing, therapies, reablement, care after discharge from hospital, community hospitals and clinics in community hospitals. Social care in your community, care homes, care at home, support from charities and voluntary sector organisations.

This will be followed by an opportunity to have an open question and answer session with Healthwatch

If you would like to attend the meeting and you have any special requirements, please call 01432 277044.