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Posted by: anonymous on 16/01/2010 22:44
Updated by: anonymous on 16/01/2010 22:44
Expires: 01/01/2015 00:00
Suffolk LINk (Suffolk Coastal area)
LINks (Local Involvement Networks) have been set up to give you the opportunity to have a say in your health and social care services. The LINk has the power to make changes happen.
It has always been an important consideration that the general public has a means to influence the ethos of health and social services. In 1974 the Government introduced the Patient and Public Involvement Forum designed to be the corner-stone of a patient led National Health Service but in time it became fragmented and unstable. A study was commissioned to review National Health Service accountability, consistency of performance, representation and how it related to the community in which it served. The study concluded that a new system should be introduced which would give patients and the public wider participation in local democracy.
The Department of Health recognised that local communities should have the ability to influence the care that they received from health and social care services. Changes in the way that the National Health Service is structured and the increasing integration of health and social care indicated that new and strengthened ways of involving people were needed. Accordingly provision was made in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 for the establishment of Local Involvement Networks (LINks). Later, in April 2008 the LINks were established in every district of England. They are designed to find out what are people’s concerns, to investigate problems and to use their powers to hold service providers to account.
Anyone can join a LINk, individual or organisation, the more people who are involved the stronger the LINk will be. Membership is free and members decide to what extent they wish to be involved. There is a monthly bulletin which gives information on local issues. It welcomes reader’s comments when asked for information. Members also have the chance to raise awareness of neglected issues that concerns them.
In summary, LINks give people the power to question current health and social care practice within local communities and they will investigate specific concerns. They will seek information from and make recommendations to the people who run services and they will expect a response within a specified time. They have the power to carry out Enter and View visits to see if services are working well and they can refer issues to Suffolk County Council’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee if action is not being taken.
Each county in England has a Core Group (Board). In Suffolk there are eight districts and each has two representatives on the Core Group. In addition, individuals represent the Voluntary Sector, Disability, Carers, Mental Health, Older People, Younger People and Black and Ethnic Minority (this post is at present vacant)
With my colleague, Malcolm Minns, I represent Suffolk Coastal and if there is any issue that you would like to discuss with us or you would like to join you can reach me on 01473 624141 or ferial.evans@virgin.net or contact: Freepost RSEB-XLCK-YXSS, Suffolk LINk, Red Gables, Ipswich Road, Stowmarket, IP14 1BE, 01449 771246 www.suffolklink.org
Ferial Evans
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