Charities and community groups in Larkhall worked in partnership with NHS Lanarkshire to deliver a successful engagement and consultation project about how people use urgent care services.
The project aimed to better understand how communities receive, discuss and use health information in practice, while also exploring whether more listening-led and community-based approaches could strengthen communication and engagement.
The engagement, which took place between January and March 2026 in Larkhall, combined online surveys and face-to-face conversations carried out through existing local community networks and trusted local channels.
NHS Lanarkshire have thanked its community partners, including Hamilton Health and Social Care Forum, Larkhall and District Volunteer Group and Larkhall Plan Partnership, as our support, local insight and trusted community connections played an important role in the success of the engagement.
The final rport from NHS Lanarkshire highlighted the value of trusted community networks and local relationships in helping information reach people and supporting understanding of that information.
This does not replace formal NHS communication. Rather, it highlights the potential value of combining organisational communication with trusted community channels.
Euan Duguid, Senior Communications Manager with NHS Lanarkshire, said: “The response from the Larkhall community was thoughtful, constructive and extremely valuable.
“What came through clearly was that people want practical information, honest dialogue and communication that reflects how decisions are made in real life.
“We also learned that many people discuss and make sense of health information through conversations with family, friends, local groups and trusted community networks.
“This work reinforced the importance of listening carefully, feeding back openly and ensuring people can see how their views help shape future thinking and planning.”