Priority Projects

Our priorities for April 2024 – March 2025

Following analysis of public feedback to identify common issues and concerns, and consultation with local health and care partners about national and local priorities, we will focus our work this year around the following areas and issues.

Pharmacies

The NHS has launched a major transformation to try and make it easier for patients to access the care they need through their pharmacy. The Pharmacy First Scheme means that people can now get prescription-only treatment for seven common conditions at their local high street pharmacy, without needing to see a GP. This can include prescribing and supplying antibiotics and antivirals where clinically appropriate. However, at the same time, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has warned of ‘skyrocketing’ levels of pharmacy closures and we have heard from more people over the last year who have found it difficult to access the medication they need.

In October 2024, we asked local people to share their experiences of using pharmacies in Dorset. We will use the insights gained from their feedback to inform the local Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment which looks at what’s available across Dorset and what is needed for the future. We will publish our report in early 2025.

Find out more about the project

Health inequalities – people experiencing homelessness

The Covid-19 pandemic shone a light on the impact of inequalities in health and social care services, particularly for those who are vulnerable, isolated or marginalised, and for those who often go unheard. People experiencing homelessness face some of the most severe inequalities in their mental and physical health, as well as significant barriers when accessing healthcare.

In January 2024, we engaged with people in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole who are experiencing homelessness or who are vulnerably housed, and the people who support them, to find out about the barriers and challenges they face when trying to access health and social care services.

Read the full report Voiceless, unheard and socially excluded: Accessing health and care while homeless or vulnerably housed (September 2024)

Integrated Neighbourhood Teams

Evidence shows that as well as access to good quality healthcare, it is the wider conditions of people’s lives – housing, income, employment and environment – that have the greatest impact on their health. Services that support people with these issues have a role to play in improving people’s health. This means the NHS, local government, the voluntary sector and wider partners must create joined up services that rethink how care is delivered to meet people’s needs and work to prevent people’s health getting worse. To achieve this, it is going to be important to understand local assets, use population health intelligence and insights, and most importantly listen to local people.

Our local health and care system is beginning to build integrated teams around the natural communities of Dorset, and we want to make sure that local people are a valued part of the process. We plan to work in one of the pilot areas, Boscombe in Bournemouth, where we’ll be engaging with local communities to find out about people’s current experience of health and care and what is needed to develop joined up services that tackle health inequalities and are truly inclusive.

Virtual wards

Virtual wards (also known as hospital at home) allow patients to get the care they need at home, rather than being in hospital. The NHS is increasingly introducing virtual wards to support people at the place they call home, including care homes.

We want to find out more about people’s experience of accessing hospital level care at home, what is it like for their family and friends, and how initiatives like this can be improved and made more inclusive. We’ll be gathering case studies and working with NHS Dorset to share people’s insights, with the aim of improving the service and the information that’s available about it.

Annual work plan

How our priorities are identified

Other projects

Additional work

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