The input of local people, partners and local organisations is invaluable to us in shaping healthcare services.
We often have involvement exercises running, and the details of any that are currently active will be available below - simply click the title to read more.
Current ICB involvement opportunities
NHS Birmingham, Black Country and Solihull ICB want to hear from people who use, support or have experience of Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS).
NEPTS is an NHS-funded service providing planned, non-urgent transport to and from healthcare locations. This can include journeys for outpatient appointments, dialysis, oncology treatment, hospital discharges and transfers between hospitals.
NEPTS is different from Ring and Ride. Ring and Ride is a separate community transport service. This survey is specifically about NHS Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) for people who are eligible to use the service.
The current NEPTS services across Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country have been in place for some time and are now being reviewed. This is an opportunity to help shape how the service could work in the future.
We want to hear about your experiences, what works well, what could be improved, and your ideas for a future service.
The survey takes less than 5 minutes to complete. Please share your views by 1 October 2026.
Please note that eligibility for NEPTS is set by national criteria and cannot be changed as part of this review. The survey is focused on people's experiences of the service and ideas for how it could be delivered and improved in the future.
Current partner consultation/engagement activities
Do you work with people who may be affected by alcohol or drug use? We want to hear from you.
Complete this short questionnaire by Walsall Public Health to help understand training needs across Walsall and improve future support for staff and services. Closes Friday 7 August.
Open to all staff across council services, NHS, police, housing, VCSE and other partner organisations.
Paper copies of the survey are available. Please contact paul.
Wolverhampton City Council has launched an eight-week consultation on its new Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Strategy, and we are keen to hear directly from organisations and partners across the city.
This is a Council strategy that sets out how we will work differently with the sector in the future – strengthening partnerships, improving how we collaborate, and recognising the VCS as an equal partner in shaping services and supporting communities.
The strategy has been informed by extensive engagement with local organisations, and this consultation is an important opportunity to ensure it reflects real experiences and priorities.
We would really value your input. You can take part in the consultation by completing the survey.
The survey should take around 15 minutes to complete, and your feedback will directly shape the final strategy.
Survey closing date: Sunday 9 August 2026
We’re inviting partners, organisations and residents across Walsall to share their views on three draft plans and strategies that will help shape health, wellbeing and care services in the borough.We’re inviting partners, organisations and residents across Walsall to share their views on three draft plans and strategies that will help shape health, wellbeing and care services in the borough.
These are:
- Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy (2026-2030)
- Neighbourhood Health and Care Plan
- Adult Social Care Strategy (2026-2031)
We are asking for your views because the decisions we make about health, care and support affect everyday life for children and adults in Walsall. By listening to your views, we can understand what matters most and what we need to focus on. Your feedback will help shape the final plans. They will inform how we deliver services, help us work better together and meet the needs of people now and in the future.
Visit the Consultation and Engagement Hub on the Walsall Council website and have your say.
What do we want to know?
We want to understand how patients currently experience access to general practitioners (GPs) in 2026. We are interested in learning about the methods local people use to contact their GP, how they navigate appointment systems, and their suggestions for improving the overall experience. We also want to find out how accessing GP appointments has changed since 2022.
We will be gaining feedback through our statutory Enter & View visits to local GP surgeries, through in-person conversations at Patient Participation Groups (PPG) and through our regular engagement duties.
Why are we asking?
In 2022, Healthwatch Wolverhampton published a report highlighting issues related to accessing GP services, which were worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Four years later, although there have been significant changes to appointment access through national initiatives, we still hear from service users that the overall quality of access remains poor, and many individuals tell us that they continue to struggle to obtain appointments.
This review provides a timely opportunity to follow up on Healthwatch Wolverhampton's previous reports (in 2022 and 2023).
How will your feedback make a difference?
By reviewing patient feedback, considering recent changes to GP contracts, access arrangements, and national initiatives such as Pharmacy First, we have an opportunity to ensure that local voices contribute to improving GP access in Wolverhampton. This aims to create a smoother and more inclusive experience for patients.
Four Years On: Patient experience of GP access | Healthwatch Wolverhampton
