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Healthwatch in the East Midlands The role for the authority and frontline councillor Ged Taylor East Midlands Programme Director Health Transitions. Topics covered. Role of Healthwatch Fit with health reforms Transition from LINk Role of councils Role of councillors.
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Healthwatch in the East Midlands The role for the authority and frontline councillor Ged Taylor East Midlands Programme Director Health Transitions
Topics covered • Role of Healthwatch • Fit with health reforms • Transition from LINk • Role of councils • Role of councillors
What is Healthwatch? • Healthwatch will be new consumer champion for health and social care • Exist in 2 forms : • Local Healthwatch ( x 152) • Healthwatch England • Local Healthwatch – established April 2013 • Healthwatch England – established October 12- statutory committee of Care Quality Commission – funded by Dept Health
What is Healthwatch? Local Healthwatch will: • Have a seat on Health & Wellbeing Boards • Enable local people to share views & concerns about local health and social care services • Provide & signpost people to information about health and social care services & how to access • Provide evidenced feedback to commissioners of health and social care services • Advise and support individuals when something goes wrong & support complaints
What is Healthwatch? Local Healthwatch will: • Carry forward existing functions of LINk • Have additional powers including advice & information about access to choices & advocacy • Be independent, commissioned by the local authority with statutory functions • Be a social enterprise • Be inclusive and reflect the diversity of the local community it serves
What is Healthwatch? Healthwatch England • Provide leadership, guidance & support to local Healthwatch organisations • Receive alerts & concerns about services from local Healthwatch organisations • Provide advice to Secretary of State, NHS Commissioning Board, Monitor & local authorities
Local Authority Responsibilities • Local Healthwatch will be funded by local authorities – LAs receive non ring-fenced funds • LAs will commission a local Healthwatch in their area - flexibility as to how they commission • Will need to work with existing LINks to manage transition to new organisations • Will evaluate and monitor local Healthwatch performance • Provide an advocacy service for people making complaints about NHS services (ICAS)
Role of councillors • Health Overview & Scrutiny to remain as is • O&S can scrutinise commissioning of HW • HW can ask for information from councils • HW can inspect LA social care services • O&S provides bridge between LINk & HW • Can open doors for Healthwatch • Joint O&Ss for wider service reviews
Role of councillors • Scrutiny at County and District level – a layered approach • County – Executive (Clinical Commissioning Groups & Health and Wellbeing Boards) Scrutiny (O&S) • District – Health & Wellbeing Board members, scrutiny, local issues, wider determinants of health, prevention, services contributing to health & wellbeing