Taking Charge: residents asked to share their views on health

Bury residents are being reminded that there’s still time to share their views about what helps or hinders them from making healthy lifestyle choices.

The Taking Charge Together campaign was launched in February by the team responsible for health and social care devolution in Greater Manchester. The survey will be open until 31 March and anyone who completes the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win a set of family bikes.

With devolution plans set to be implemented from 1 April 2016, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is keen to understand what helps or hinders people from making healthy lifestyle choices. The results of the campaign will help shape health and social care plans and spending across Greater Manchester for the next five years.

Stuart North, chief officer for NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “We want local people to get involved in the Taking Charge Together campaign. This feedback will help to inform how services should look in the future and help us to deliver the greatest and fastest improvements in health and wellbeing for local people.”

People can join a conversation about everything from exercise to mental health by visiting www.takingchargetogether.org.uk and filling in a quick survey.

The feedback from Taking Charge Together will be used to help health and social care bosses tackle some of the worst health outcomes in the country.

To support the campaign, a Key 103 road show visited Kay Gardens in Bury town centre. Despite the snow, residents took the opportunity to hop on the Key 103 media bus, have a coffee and complete the campaign survey. Some lucky shoppers received shopping vouchers from the Key 103 team for their efforts.

The Bury road show also launched Bury’s Locality Plan. This outlines the borough’s vision for the future of local health and social care services, which will involve closer working between services, early intervention to help prevent poor health and making sure people have the support and information they need to take an active part in managing their health and wellbeing.

Councillor Andrea Simpson, chair of Bury’s Health and Wellbeing Board, said: “It’s really important that our community has the opportunity to contribute to the conversation taking place across Greater Manchester.

“We want our plans to make a difference. We have a range of great services and opportunities already in place in Bury to help people to stay fit and well, but it’s important that we listen to what residents have to say so that we can understand what works and find the best solutions to improve the health of local people.”

ENDS

Press release issued: 14 March 2016.

Picture: At the health event are (left) Sharon Lowe and Charli Headley of the council’s social development team.