Local Involvement Networks
Encyclopedia
Local Involvement Networks (LINks) were launched by the United Kingdom
National Health Service
(NHS) in April 2008 following the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2007/ukpga_20070028_en_1. They replace the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health
(CPPIH)http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/managingyourorganisation/patientandpublicinvolvement/dh_4031635 and Patient and Public Involvement Forums and now exist in every local authority area with a responsibility for NHS health care and social services http://www.nhs.uk/links. There are now 151 LINks in place and the Government committed £84 million in funding to them until March 2011.http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/PatientAndPublicinvolvement/dh_076366
All LINks have the power to ask health and care commissioners for information about their services and expect a response within 20 days. They also issue reports and make recommendations about services and expect responses from commissioners. The power to enter certain services and view the care provided is called Enter & View. LINk members must undergo training in order to carry out this power. LINks can also refer health & social care matters to the local council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee if local service providers to not provide a satisfactory response.
LINks are independently run by the people that belong to it – an elected committee of members and volunteer participants – individuals and groups, from the community. Their role is to find out what people want, monitor local services and to use their powers to hold those services to account. There is no set structure for a LINk, but the idea is that a LINk will only work effectively if it involves the whole community. Funding comes from local councils, who have been given money by the Department of Health to finance LINks. Each LINk is hosted by a "host organisation" of paid staff who to set up and support the LINk. The host is accountable to the LINk. LINks are independent of the Government. An example of a host organisation is Voluntary Norfolk, the lead partner of a consortium selected as the host for Norfolk LINk.
Anyone who wants to have their say on how health and social care services are delivered in their area can become a member of a LINk. The principle is that "everyone's views matter". For example:
Certain bodies cannot be part of a LINk, these include National Health Service trusts, NHS Foundation Trusts, Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities.
LINks have been set up to give people a range of ways to get involved, whether this just taking a few minutes to answer a survey or taking more time to train as a representative who visits services to see how they are run.
Norfolk LINk's work influencing how myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome
(ME/CFS) services are planned and delivered in Norfolk
is an example of how LINks practice.
From April 2012, local LINks will become local HealthWatch which will continue to offer the same services as LINks. Their role will also be extended to provide information and advice to help people make choices about health and care services and the possibility of providing an advocacy service for people making a complaint using the NHS complaints process.
A HealthWatch England will also be set up. Under current proposals, HealthWatch England will be set up as an independent arm of the Care Quality Commission
, with a specific remit to represent at a national level people using health and social care
services. This will give people a real influence over the way services are planned and delivered. HealthWatch England will use evidence from Local HealthWatch and from carrying out its own work to identify concerns and poorly performing services. It will then be able to recommend to Care Quality Commission that they investigate those services.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
(NHS) in April 2008 following the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007
Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.The Act allows for the implementation of many provisions outlined in the Government white paper Strong and Prosperous Communities including changes to local government in England...
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2007/ukpga_20070028_en_1. They replace the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health
Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health
The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health was an independent, non-departmental public body sponsored by the UK Department of Health...
(CPPIH)http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/managingyourorganisation/patientandpublicinvolvement/dh_4031635 and Patient and Public Involvement Forums and now exist in every local authority area with a responsibility for NHS health care and social services http://www.nhs.uk/links. There are now 151 LINks in place and the Government committed £84 million in funding to them until March 2011.http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/PatientAndPublicinvolvement/dh_076366
About LINks
LINks ask people what they like and dislike about NHS care services and adult social care services and seek ideas from the public to help improve services. They explore specific issues of concern to the community by collecting feedback from local people. LINks can tell those who commission, provide and manage local services what the community thinks and work with commissioners and providers to improve, amend, reconfigure and supplement services. They also have the power to carry out visits to services to see them at work. They facilitate and influence consultation on new or revised commissioning and provision of services.All LINks have the power to ask health and care commissioners for information about their services and expect a response within 20 days. They also issue reports and make recommendations about services and expect responses from commissioners. The power to enter certain services and view the care provided is called Enter & View. LINk members must undergo training in order to carry out this power. LINks can also refer health & social care matters to the local council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee if local service providers to not provide a satisfactory response.
LINks are independently run by the people that belong to it – an elected committee of members and volunteer participants – individuals and groups, from the community. Their role is to find out what people want, monitor local services and to use their powers to hold those services to account. There is no set structure for a LINk, but the idea is that a LINk will only work effectively if it involves the whole community. Funding comes from local councils, who have been given money by the Department of Health to finance LINks. Each LINk is hosted by a "host organisation" of paid staff who to set up and support the LINk. The host is accountable to the LINk. LINks are independent of the Government. An example of a host organisation is Voluntary Norfolk, the lead partner of a consortium selected as the host for Norfolk LINk.
Anyone who wants to have their say on how health and social care services are delivered in their area can become a member of a LINk. The principle is that "everyone's views matter". For example:
- Individuals, such as carers, service users, community leaders, patient representatives.
- Health and social care professionals, as long as any conflict of interestConflict of interestA conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
are appropriately handled or managed. - Groups, such as charities, faith groups, tenant organisations, youth councils, business federations.
Certain bodies cannot be part of a LINk, these include National Health Service trusts, NHS Foundation Trusts, Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities.
LINks have been set up to give people a range of ways to get involved, whether this just taking a few minutes to answer a survey or taking more time to train as a representative who visits services to see how they are run.
Norfolk LINk's work influencing how myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome is the most common name used to designate a significantly debilitating medical disorder or group of disorders generally defined by persistent fatigue accompanied by other specific symptoms for a minimum of six months, not due to ongoing exertion, not substantially...
(ME/CFS) services are planned and delivered in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
is an example of how LINks practice.
HeathWatch
In July 2010 the Government released a White Paper called Liberating the NHS. The White Paper outlines several changes that may affect the way local LINks are run.From April 2012, local LINks will become local HealthWatch which will continue to offer the same services as LINks. Their role will also be extended to provide information and advice to help people make choices about health and care services and the possibility of providing an advocacy service for people making a complaint using the NHS complaints process.
A HealthWatch England will also be set up. Under current proposals, HealthWatch England will be set up as an independent arm of the Care Quality Commission
Care Quality Commission
The Care Quality Commission is a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government established in 2009 to regulate and inspect health and social care services in England. This includes services provided by the NHS, local authorities, private companies and voluntary organisations -...
, with a specific remit to represent at a national level people using health and social care
services. This will give people a real influence over the way services are planned and delivered. HealthWatch England will use evidence from Local HealthWatch and from carrying out its own work to identify concerns and poorly performing services. It will then be able to recommend to Care Quality Commission that they investigate those services.
External links
- http://www.nhs.uk/links
- http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2007/ukpga_20070028_en_1
- http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/PatientAndPublicinvolvement/dh_076366
- http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/managingyourorganisation/patientandpublicinvolvement/dh_4031635