Herts Valleys and EN Herts CCG’s are inviting you to share your views on some of the proposals designed to make best use of the money available to the local NHS.
The aim of the proposals are to help as many people as possible to live longer, healthier lives and avoid preventable illnesses. The proposals have been made by NHS East and North Hertfordshire and NHS Herts Valleys CCG and are in response to the growing number of people requiring health service support, often for complex conditions. The shortage of staff, including doctors, nurses and other specialists means that there are increasing pressures on their time and it’s essential that their time is spent wisely.
The proposals are about:
- Tightening up existing rules so that people who smoke or whose weight is classified as ‘obese’ are required to make bigger improvements to their health before non-urgent surgery – unless a longer wait for surgery would be harmful
- Reducing or stopping the availability of NHS- funded IVF (in vitro fertilisation) and specialist fertility services
- Limiting the routine prescription of medicines and products that can be bought without prescription, for short-term conditions and minor ailments
- Restricting the prescribing of gluten-free foods
- Stopping the routine funding for female sterilisation procedures
- Stopping the routine funding of vasectomies (this proposal would only affect patients registered with a GP in the Herts Valleys CCG area – eg Dacorum, Hertsmere, St Albans, Three Rivers and Watford).
The public consultations are free to attend are detailed below (please email enquiries.hvccg@nhs.net or call 01442 898884 to let them know you’ll be joining so they can ensure they have enough space), and you can also fill in a survey to share your opinion here:
Wednesday 9 August | Wednesday 6 September |
| 7 – 9pm | 2- 4pm |
| South Hill Centre, Cemetery Hill, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 1JF | Allum Hall, 2 Allum Lane, Elstree, WD6 3PJ |