READ MORE: Download our leaflet “What is Community Health and Social Care?” Download: “Community health and social care in our area – Easy Read”

MAKE YOURSELF HEARD: Complete our online survey

This summer, it’s Time to Talk about the future of community health and social care within Dumfries and Galloway.

As Dumfries and Galloway emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, community health and social care continues to face real and significant challenges. How we meet and deal with them is up to everyone in the region.

Community health and social care is everything happening outside major hospitals – care homes, care at home services, day services, cottage hospitals, community health services, social work services, and primary care services such as general practice and community pharmacies.

Challenges exist right across community health and social care: ensuring there are enough GPs to serve the population, reducing waiting times for services, discharging people from hospital in a timely manner, using community-based teams to support people in their own homes, and many more.

For more information on community health and social care and the challenges it faces, read our “What is Community Health and Social Care?” leaflet at the link above.

Engagement sessions will be taking place across the region across July, August, and September – with pop-up booths appearing in high streets, in supermarkets, and at public events including agricultural shows from now until 15 September.

In July you can make your views known in person at:

• 9 July – Lochside Gala, Dumfries
• 11 July – Tesco, Lockerbie
• 12 July – Moat Brae, Dumfries
• 13 July – Lochside Grub Club, Dumfries
• 14 July – North West Resource Centre, Dumfries
• 15 July – Morrisons, Dumfries
• 16-17 July – Kirkcudbright County Fair
• 18 July – Castle Douglas Community Centre
• 20 July – Ryan Centre, Stranraer
• 22 July – Church Street, Annan and High Street, Dalbeattie
• 24 July  – Park Farm car boot sale, Dumfries, 1000-1300
• 25 July – Buccleuch Centre, Langholm, 1100-1500
• 26 July – Caledonian Park, Gretna, 1000-1600
• 27 July – Stranraer Show, all day
• 31 July – Emergency Services Day, Kirkcudbright Harbour, 1000-1600

In August, look out for us at:

• 2 August – Port William Carnival
• 3 August – Wigtown Show
• 4 August – Newton Stewart Initiative
• 4 August – Stewartry Show, Castle Douglas
• 6 August – Dumfries Show
• 8 August – Miners’ Memorial Hall, Kirkconnell
• 14 August – Car boot sale, Kirkcudbright Harbour
• 18 August – Gatehouse Community Centre
• 20-21 August – Galloway County Fair
• 26 August – Moffat Town Hall
• 27 August – Moffat Show
• 27 August – Park Festival, Stranraer

And in September, you can find us at:

• 5 September – Glenluce Village Hall, 1100-1500
• 7 September – Langholm Co-Op, 1100-1500
• 9 September – Thornhill Co-Op, 1100-1300
• 9 September – Sanquhar High Street, 1300-1600
• 12 September – Dumfries YMCA, 1100-1500

If you can’t attend any of these in person, or if you know someone who can’t attend, you can still have your say – by completing a simple five-question survey at the link above, or by recording your comments either in audio or on video and submitting them to dg.engagement@nhs.scot. You can also write to us at: Communications Team, DGRI, A75, Cargenbridge, DG2 8RX. And we can provide printed copies of the survey and the leaflet on request. 

Watch the British Sign Language version of the “What is Community Health and Social Care?” Leaflet below.