More funding for mental health services, easier access to GPs and better transport to health facilities are among residents' top priorities for improving the NHS in Somerset.

The government is currently consulting on its ten-year plan for the future of the NHS, with local health boards carrying out consultation ahead of the final plan being published by the late-summer.

The NHS Somerset integrated care board (ICB), which determines how health resources are commissioned and allocated across the county, has carried out its research ahead of a formal submission to the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

The research has revealed broad public support for the government's aims, but concerns remain about access to services (especially in rural areas) and how long-term issues such as recruitment, underfunding and poor infrastructure will be successfully tackled.

Jonathan Higman, the ICB's chief executive, presented the findings of the research in a written report when the ICB met in Bridgwater on Thursday morning (May 22).

The government has outlined three broad directions of travel or 'shifts' for the NHS going forward:

• Hospital to community (i.e. more people being treated nearer to their homes, freeing up acute hospital beds wherever possible)
• Analogue to digital (i.e. using technology to speed up the delivery of services and cut red tape)
• Sickness to prevention (i.e. addressing the root causes of ill health and tackling problems earlier to reduce the need for high-cost interventions)

More than 750 people were consulted between November 2024 and March 2025, with Mr Higman stating that there was clear support for the NHS "being free at the point of use, universally accessible, and delivered by compassionate, hard-working staff."

He added, however, that "major challenges persist" regarding funding and infrastructure, and that any further reforms would have be implemented with a view to tackling these head on.

He said: "There is a clear call for significant investment in community infrastructure, resources, and seamless coordination across care services to make these shifts effective."

The consultation revealed residents ten' wider priorities for their NHS going forward – namely:

1. Cutting waiting times: participants express frustration with long waits for GP and dentist appointments, describing it as "a significant concern" and a cause of great dissatisfaction within the wider health service. Patients want more resources to be directed towards providing more appointments, especially in rural areas
2. Preventing staff burnout and tackling recruitment: participants expressed concerns about NHS staff shortages, which were leading to more delays in treatment and increased pressure on existing staff, contributing to "staff burnout and low morale". Patients have called for "better recruitment strategies, improved working conditions, fairer pay and support for staff retention"
3. Better communication and more connected services: those surveyed were frustrated by the lack of integration and communication between the different parts of the healthcare system, leading to "inefficiencies" in how public money was spent (especially with regard to medication). Patients have called for "clearer referral pathways" to speed up treatment and "enhance patient experiences"
4. More funding for mental health services: participants felt that mental health services in Somerset were "severely underfunded and difficult to access", especially for young people. Patients have called for more funding and staffing for early intervention, with long waiting times for assessment being identified as a critical issue
5. Easier access for the elderly and vulnerable: those surveys said that the elderly, homeless and vulnerable (including those on low incomes) often struggled to access healthcare services, and could therefore be "excluded from the benefits" of any planned reforms. Patients have asked for more work to be done in this area, especially in rural areas where lack of transport and recruitment issues compound this isolation
6. More funding for preventative healthcare: patients felt that the NHS had been "chronically underfunded", especially with regard to preventative medicine and rural services. There have been repeated calls for "more equitable distribution of resources to ensure that under-served communities and vulnerable groups are not left behind"
7. Better access to transport: poor public transport was identified by many as a "major barrier" to accessing NHS services, especially in light of the long distances people need to travel in rural areas. Patients have called for more investment in public transport and community hospitals to address these concerns
8. No more privatisation: numerous respondents have called for an end to further privatisation within the NHS, arguing that it would "lead to inequality in access to care, reduced quality, and higher costs". Patients have called on future decisions on NHS funding to be driven by their needs, rather than the need to cut costs
9. More collaborative, person-centred services: respondents have called for a "cultural shift" within the NHS, with less of an emphasis on short-term targets and more focus on collaboration between different services. A culture of "respect, transparency, and patient involvement in decision-making" must be fostered to deliver the aims of the ten-year plan
10. Greater transparency and accountability: patients have regularly requested more transparency in how decisions are made within the NHS, with respondents wanting to be involved in "shaping policies and services". To this end, there have been repeated calls for health consultations to be written in "plain language" and a better public understanding of how different health services operate and can be accessed.

Taunton and Wellington MP Gideon Amos will be hosting a public meeting in Taunton on Friday evening (May 30) to further discuss the future of health services and dentistry within Somerset.

The event will be held at the Creative Innovation Centre (CIC) on Paul Street, beginning at 7:30pm. To book free tickets, visit www.twld.eventcube.io/events/73863/rebuilding-our-nhs-public-meeting.