HEALTH chiefs in Southampton are asking for your help to review long-term strategies.

Bosses at Southampton General and Princess Anne hospitals want the public to refresh its 2020 Vision – a list of long-termgoals originally drawn up in 2007.

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust chief executive Fiona Dalton said there would not be a drastic overhaul but that the vision needed updating because of major changes in the NHS and technology over the past seven years.

She said: “When I was talking to people across the hospital last summer, to prepare for my job interview here, I was struck with how many times the 2020 Vision was mentioned. Given that it was written seven years ago, it’s a real sign of success that it is still talked about, and seen as relevant.

“Re-reading it, there are many ideas in it that are still high on the national agenda. The concept of being a place where we would want our family to be treated is now echoed in the national friends and family test, for instance. The drive to centralise specialist care, and where possible move other care into the community is still very much a national policy “But other things have changed dramatically. The scandal of Mid- Staffs Hospital has forced the whole NHS to reflect and consider how we can make sure that this doesn’t happen in our hospitals. We have new stakeholders – in particular, Clinical Commissioning Groups.

“And technology has changed in unimaginable ways – when the 2020 Vision was written, for instance, the iPhone had yet to be invented.”

She added: “We have agreed that it is time to review and refresh the 2020 Vision, and over the next few weeks I would very much welcome your input, and in particular your views on what is important for our vision going forward.”

But the review will not have any impact on any major developments planned by the hospital such as the new children’s hospital that is set to be complete by 2020.

The initial vision statement in 2007 said: “Our goal is to be the country’s leading centre of clinical and academic achievement within ten years and establish a world-class reputation by 2020.

“We will constantly improve patient care and foster innovation in an organisation that exceeds the expectations of patients and meets the needs of its purchasers and providers.

“At the same time we will offer a more attractive place to work, learn and research than any of our competitors and be rated by our customers as consistently excellent in everything we do.”

The trust will set up staff meetings to get internal input and has created the UHSvision@uhs.

nhs.uk email for the public to submit their ideas for what should be focused on in the future.

A draft of the revised vision will then be published in the autumn for public debate.

The original 2020 Vision was based around making the hospitals a place staff’s families would choose for healthcare.