The health minister and NHS England’s South West regional director have visited Somerset Cricket Club in Taunton to hear the public's views on the NHS.

More than 100 people attended as part of the biggest ever conversation about the future of the NHS.

Health Minister Karin Smyth also got her blood pressure checked at the club as part of its Take The Pressure Off campaign and visited Musgrove Park Hospital’s emergency department and discussed its hospital@home initiative.

Smyth said: "I was a manager in the NHS in the South West and other parts of the country for years, and as a minister I’ve been privileged to be out and about seeing some fantastic care - but it doesn’t happen everywhere.

"We want to take the very best of the NHS to the rest of the NHS, however we know we can’t do that from Whitehall.

"That’s why we need your fingerprints all over our 10-Year Health Plan and we must work with you, the patients and staff who use and work in the NHS, to help inform how we fix it."

Elizabeth O’Mahony, South West regional director said: "We all know the NHS is facing big challenges and there are problems that need to be fixed but our staff also do amazing things every day.

"The 10 Year Health Plan gives us a huge opportunity to innovate, learn from best practice and build an NHS fit for the future.

"We are so grateful to everyone who has come forward to share their experiences and will be listening very closely to their ideas."