Current involvement opportunities

The NHS Birmingham, Black Country and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) is inviting Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) organisations to support a community-led HPV self-testing pilot across the Black Country. This work aims to improve awareness and understanding of cervical screening, reduce health inequalities, and ensure women can make informed choices about participating in the new HPV self-testing programme. The project will build on existing relationships with trusted community organisations to help reach women and communities who may face barriers to accessing cervical screening.

We recognise that communities are best placed to understand the needs, concerns and experiences of the people they support. Therefore, participating organisations will have the flexibility to engage their communities in ways that work best for them, while helping us gather valuable feedback on what works well, what barriers remain and how the self-testing programme can be improved.

Delivery area and key timescales

Delivery must take place with communities across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Birmingham or Solihull.

Application deadline: 23 October 2026

Delivery start date: Following completion of the training session

All community engagement and final reporting must be completed by: 30 November 2026

Please ensure your proposed activities can be delivered within this timeframe.

Organisations can choose from 3 levels of involvement:

Option 1: Training and feedback

Attend an HPV self-testing training session and provide feedback on how the learning has benefited your community and organisation. Funding available: £100 per organisation.

Option 2: Community conversation

Attend the training session and host a community conversation in a way that works for your community. Gather feedback from participants and provide a written report outlining key themes, questions and recommendations. Funding available up to: £900 per organisation.

Option 3: Enhanced community engagement

Attend the training session and deliver a broader programme of community engagement using approaches that best suit your community, such as focus groups, workshops, surveys, community events or outreach activities. Organisations will be expected to gather insight, identify barriers and opportunities and submit a report detailing their findings and recommendations. Funding available: up to £3,500 per organisation.

We recognise the timescales on this are very tight, so we are asking that organisations applying for any of the 3 levels of involvement to book onto one of the training sessions whilst we assess applications. Even if you are not successful in options 2 or 3 if you apply for them, as we may not be able to award all applications, we will still renumerate you the £100 for taking part in the training session and be involved in our cohort of option 1 organisations.

There are 3 options for online 2.5 hour training sessions, these are:

• Thursday 15 October, 13:00 – 15:30. Sign up here.
• Friday 16 October 09:30 – 12:00pm. Sign up here.
• Monday 19 October 09:30 – 12:00pm. Sign up here.

Applications will be assessed based on:

• Reach and connections into local communities
• Experience of engaging underserved groups
• Proposed approach to engagement

Download the application form here and return all applications to involve.blackcountry@nhs.net by 23 October.

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

Share your views in our survey. 

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.

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

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.hargrave@walsall.gov.uk if you would like paper copies or have any other queries about the survey.