Somerset's Big Conversation 2025

Somerset’s Big Conversation is a county-wide engagement roadshow led by NHS Somerset to hear directly from local people in their communities about their experiences with health and care services. Through a series of in-person events, including markets, festivals and other local events, we’re inviting everyone to share their views and help shape the future of care in Somerset.  We will also be raising awareness about the work of NHS Somerset and bringing key campaigns such as Smokefree Somerset and Hypertension, into communities across the county. In addition, we’ll gather feedback through an online survey, giving event attendees a chance to share more thoughts and ensuring those who can’t meet us in person still have their voices heard.

The roadshow is organised by the Communications, Engagement & Marketing Team at NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board (ICB). The ICB is responsible for planning and coordinating health and care services across Somerset. We are working collaboratively with partners from our Integrated Care System (ICS), known as Our Somerset, across health, social care, and the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector to ensure we hear from as many people as possible.

Somerset’s health and care system is under increasing pressure, and we know we need to do things differently. The Government will publish its 10 Year Health Plan this summer and the roadshow is an excellent opportunity to build on the feedback we heard as part of our engagement earlier this year and to listen, learn, and understand what matters most to people when it comes to their health and wellbeing. Your input will help us design better, more joined-up, high quality and cost-effective services that work for everyone.

Anyone who lives, works, or receives health and care services in Somerset is welcome to take part and share their experience, views and ideas. We particularly want to hear from people who may not usually engage with health and care organisations, including young people, carers, and those with lived experience of complex health needs.

Each roadshow event is an open, informal opportunity to:

• Talk with NHS Somerset staff and representatives from our health and care partners
• Share your experiences of health and care
• Learn about local services and upcoming plans
• Find out more about current health campaigns
• Share your views and ideas about the future of Somerset’s healthcare services

You don’t need an appointment - just come along and have your say.

The roadshow will be visiting towns and communities across Somerset between May and September. A full list of event dates, times, and locations is available on this webpage. Many events are free to attend but some have admission fees. To find out more information about where we will be, please check Somerset's Big Conversation 2025 - NHS Somerset ICB

You can also keep an eye on our NHS Somerset social media channels.

If you are unable to join us at a roadshow event, you can still take part by:

• Completing our online survey 
• Sending feedback by email or post to the NHS Somerset Engagement Team, Wynford House, Lufton Way, Lufton, Yeovil, BA22 8HR

All the feedback we hear will be reviewed, analysed, and used to inform how NHS Somerset and Our Somerset partners plan and deliver health and care services in the future. We will produce reports to share with our Board, colleagues, patients and the public to share what we have heard and out next steps.  We will highlight how public feedback has been used to improve services, as we are committed to the principle of collaboration with the people of Somerset and showing the “You Said, We Did” approach.

Yes. All feedback will be kept confidential and reported anonymously. We comply fully with data protection laws and our privacy policy is available on this website: Privacy Policy - NHS Somerset ICB . We would like to highlight particular experiences through our social media channels, webpage and in our reports, so we would like to find people who are willing to be case studies.  If you are happy to be a case study and for us to use your experience and other details, we will request you complete a consent form

If you have questions about the roadshow or survey, please contact the NHS Somerset Engagement Team by emailing 📧 somicb.engagement@nhs.net

For useful communications resources to promote the roadshow please go to Somerset's Big Conversation Communications Resources

In our engagement activity focusing on Pauline's care following discharge from hospital, 'Community Hospitals' are included within the Community Health and Wellbeing Hub option rather than shown separately. This is because many of our existing community hospitals are evolving into multi-service facilities – sometimes called Neighbourhood Health Centres in the Government’s new 10-Year Health Plan – which offer more than just inpatient hospital care. These hubs bring together a wide range of health, care, and wellbeing services under one roof, and some will continue to include inpatient beds.

If a community hospital is clinically the right place for a patient like Pauline, it remains a viable pathway. Some of our existing community hospitals (Neighbourhood Health Centres) will also be available for end-of-life patients where this is appropriate and in line with their wishes, and care home beds may also be used for palliative care. There will continue to be beds available for short-term care home stays, although our aim is to provide more care in people’s own homes whenever it is safe and appropriate to do so.

A Neighbourhood Health or Wellbeing Hub is a new model being introduced under the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan to bring a wide range of services together in one local, accessible place.

Unlike traditional community hospitals, which are mainly focused on inpatient care, rehabilitation, and outpatient clinics, these hubs are designed as “one-stop shops” for prevention, diagnostics, therapy, mental health support, social care, and community services. They will be open for extended hours (around 12 hours a day, six days a week) and staffed by multidisciplinary teams from health, social care, and the voluntary sector, aiming to keep people well and reduce the need for hospital admissions.
While some hubs may be based in existing community hospital buildings and may still include inpatient beds where needed, the focus is broader—supporting people to live well in their communities through early intervention and integrated care. This reflects a wider NHS shift from hospital-based treatment to community-based, preventive care.

You can read more about the 10-Year Health Plan and neighbourhood health services here - 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future - GOV.UK

Yes. In Somerset, most cottage hospitals didn’t close outright but gradually evolved into community hospitals as part of the NHS. From the mid-20th century onwards, higher clinical standards and broader service needs meant these small, locally run facilities were upgraded, renamed, and expanded. Many stayed in the same buildings and locations, retaining their local identity, but with improved facilities, more varied outpatient and rehabilitation services, and stronger links to the wider NHS network.

The current transformation of community hospitals into new neighbourhood health and wellbeing hubs is, in many ways, capturing the most positive aspects of cottage hospitals—such as care close to home, familiar staff, and a strong community focus—while adding modern, integrated services. For example, hubs will host multidisciplinary teams offering health, mental health, social care, and community support in one place; operate extended hours for better access; and in some cases, still include inpatient or palliative care beds. This blends the local, personal feel people valued in cottage hospitals with the broader capabilities and joined-up care needed today.