Doctors responsible for public health in Hertsmere have announced a new plan for the future.

Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group (HVCCG) last week agreed a new strategy that will see changes in four main areas.

These include making sure local people are supported to stay well, preventing ill-health, and ensuring patients and carers are empowered to take an active part in the own care.

Also group wants to ensure people receive care and treatment at home or as close to home as possible.

Dr Nicolas Small, local GP and chairman of HVCCG said, “We have a growing and ageing population with changing healthcare needs. This is putting pressure on health and social services at a time when we are working with a shrinking NHS budget in real terms.

“So we need to make changes to ensure that despite this, we achieve better outcomes and improved experiences for patients by doing things differently.

He added: “For example we are going to make changes to help relieve pressure on our busy emergency departments. Delivering a Healthy Herts Valleys sets out how this will happen.

“We are committed to continuing this way of working as this gives us the best chance of reshaping health and social care in Herts Valleys and improving health outcomes for us all.

"We also acknowledge the role that family carers play in our plans and one of the ways we will be supporting them is by developing carer champions in all our 70 GP Practices in west Herts.

“Their role will be to work with colleagues within their practice to identify and support carers who are registered with them, this includes offering them annual health checks.”

The CCG, run by a team of GPs, is responsible for the planning and running of many health services across west Hertfordshire such as emergency care, mental health services and community care.