IMPROVED technology for booking appointments, advice for a healthier lifestyle and shorter waiting times is just some of the feedback from recent healthcare campaigns.

Organised by Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and Healthwatch, more than 2000 people participated in surveys and events last month to share their views on how to improve health services across the region.

The public were invited to participate as part of Our Health Our Future, organised by local CCGs, and #Whatwouldyoudo?, organised by Healthwatch.

According to the Healthwatch report, cancer services received an overall positive response from the survey, with participants praising "swift treatment" and "exceptional care".

But more focus on improving facilities for independent living, and the need for an accurate diagnosis were just some of the areas participants felt still needed addressing.

Additionally some respondents felt they had to become "experts in their own care", as they they felt they knew more about their condition than the healthcare professionals.

Dr Ian Orpen, chairman of the BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Board, said: “We’d like to thank everyone who took the time to fill in the surveys and speak to us at events across the region over the past few weeks.

“It’s clear that local people have strong views about how heath and care services should be organised in the future. We will listen to them and make sure we address their concerns as we draw up plans for how we organise services over the coming years.”

Carol Willis, manager at Healthwatch Swindon added: “The government is investing an additional £20 billion a year until 2023 in the NHS to implement the vision laid out in the NHS Long Term Plan. We were asked to help find out what local people thought was the best way for the NHS in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire to invest in the right services as part of this plan.

“It was wonderful to listen to so many people keen to make a difference to our local NHS.”

Overall feedback generated from the campaigns will be used by health leaders to plan the organisation of health and care services for the next five years, and an analysis of the results will be shared with the public in the autumn.