We all have a part to play in leading a healthier lifestyle and keeping well for longer. Supporting our communities to come together is at the heart of why organisations responsible for providing health and care services have teamed up to become the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS). To help us make the right choices in how we plan for the future, we are asking residents to join our Virtual Views citizens’ panel and have a say.
What is the Virtual Views Panel?
The Virtual Views panel will collect the views of a wide range of residents across our area through regular surveys. Our Partnership covers mid and south Essex which includes, Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, Castle Point, Chelmsford, Maldon, Rayleigh, Rochford, Southend and Thurrock.
The feedback we get from local people will help us continually improve and develop how we work together to provide health and care services to the different communities we serve.
What’s in it for me?
You will have the opportunity to have your views heard by local health and care decision-makers. You will also find out about new plans and ideas from across the health and care system. This includes local authorities, hospitals, GP’s and other health care providers. The Virtual Views panel aims to regularly gauge residents’ views on a range of health and care related topics. The information we gather will help shape the choices we make in how we deliver care and support for the 1.2 million people living in our area.
Apply to join our Virtual Views PanelFrequently Asked Questions
How much time do I need to give and what is involved if I join the panel?
How often you get involved is entirely up to you. As a minimum, we will invite you to participate in four to eight online surveys each year. The number of questions in each survey will vary. However, the surveys will not take too long to complete. In joining the panel, members agree to receive communications from us throughout the year. Your commitment can end there. However, the ICS is seeking for some panel members who may wish to be more involved in providing feedback through face-to-face workshops or focus groups. We will send out invitations to join in, but there is no obligation to take part. If you do attend events or focus groups, reasonable travel costs will be reimbursed upon evidence of receipt.
Am I eligible to join?
In order to be eligible to join and become a panel member, you must be 16 years old or over and live in or be registered with a GP within the areas covered by the Mid and South Essex ICS. You do not need any previous experience or expertise in health or care to join.
How do you choose which people can join the panel?
We want to make sure the Virtual Views panel is representative of our community and has a balance of people of different ages, backgrounds, and from different parts of the area. To accomplish this aim, we will recruit people to match our community profile.
What type of data does the Virtual Views panel collect?
We will collect a variety of data from you, including your age, postcode, gender, ethnicity, health etc. But also your views about various subjects, some of those will be general questions about access to GP surgeries for example and others may be more specific to a certain health condition or mental health. The more information you share with us the better our data will be, but please remember if you don’t feel comfortable answering certain questions then just leave them out.
How is my data protected?
All the information you provide will be kept completely confidential, and will be held securely in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. Civica hosts all panel member data on their panel membership platform. Your data will never be shared with anyone else other than Civica and Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System.
Civica is the data processor working on behalf of Mid and South Essex Health and Care Integrated Care System, who are the data controller. Information on our privacy notice can be found here.