Health Consultation talks to Minority Communities

Date published: 03/04/2006

Health bosses are holding meetings in Rochdale to give people from black and ethnic minority communities another chance to talk about health service changes. 

Members of the ‘Making It Better’ team, who are carrying out the public consultation on proposals to change in-patient children’s, maternity and neonatal services, across Greater Manchester, East Cheshire and High Peak, have been holding a series of meetings and public events to target particular sections of the community.

National standards for consultations emphasise the need to reach all sectors of the community and the full consultation document, leaflet and response forms have been translated into seven community languages – Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Cantonese), French, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu. 

Rochdale PCT, PPI Lead Tasnim Mogul said, “These meetings are an excellent chance for people to hear the information in their own communities where they feel most comfortable and I would urge more people to come  along to these events. We have already held meeting in local mosques and community centres.  We are also planning an event to reach asylum seekers and refugees.  This consultation will shape the future of health care for children and families in Greater Manchester and this is the time for people to give their views.”

“Taking part in the consultation is important because the changes are going to affect all communities in the area.  Taking the information to these communities in their own languages can only further peoples understanding of the issues surrounding these changes.”

The information is also available in Braille, audio tape and large print formats.

So far, over 22,000 responses have been received by the Making it Better team who are anxious to make sure that as many people as possible in every community setting get to have their say.

The ‘Making it Better’ Consultation about the proposed reconfiguration of children’s and maternity in-patient services in Greater Manchester, East Cheshire and High Peak runs until Friday May 12th.  For more information and access to material in other languages, please visit:

www.bestforhealth.nhs.uk/makingitbetter