Local Involvement Network (LINK) Mubarak Ismail Sheffield Hallam University

1. Local Involvement Network (LINK) Mubarak Ismail Sheffield Hallam University

2. Introduction: organizational competencies • Organizational competencies are the drivers for delivering the best quality of care to patients. • They are unique skill sets that the organization possesses (including staff, facilities and services). • They are required by every organization to work effectively and develop mutually beneficial relationships between primary care organizations and patients. • Fulfilling the needs of patients, service users and their families is core to organizational competencies for all Primary Care Trusts (PCTs).

3. Organizational competenciesPatient Relationship • PCTs must ensure effective, patient-centred communication with people from a diverse population. • PCTs communicate effectively with their local population and enable them to design services around their needs. • The effectiveness of health promotion and disease prevention initiatives often depend upon patients’ attitudes and their engagement with General Practitioners and health care services. • Services and interventions aimed at decreasing the burden of Cardio-Vascular Disease provide many examples of competencies which involve developing good and trusting relationships with patients.

4. What is LINK • LINK is a network partnership and its aim is to allow patients, carers and other service users to express their opinions and to contribute towards how their health and social care services are delivered. • LINKs provide a single organisation for general practitioners and social care services that can be used to involve patients, carers and communities. • It was set up by National Health Services as part of a community engagement and empowerment strategy. • The role of LINKs is to find out what people want, engage with people and provide an opportunity for people to discuss and raise issues of concern. • LINKS work with health professionals and doctors to identify possible solutions to these problems. • Their remit is community engagement and empowerment.

5. Who is involved? • Local Involvement Networks (LINKs) are made up of: • Patients • Carers • Individuals • Community groups • Faith groups • Residents associations • Voluntary sector organisations • Health Practitioners/Doctors • Local authorities

6. What do they involve? • LINks role is to: • Ask local people what they think about local healthcare services and provide a chance to suggest ideas to help improve services. • Investigate specific issues of concern to the community and use its powers to hold services to account and get results. • Ask for information and get an answer in a specified amount of time • Be able to carry out spot-checks to see if services are working well (carried out under safeguards). • Make reports and recommendations and receive a response • Refer issues to the local ‘Overview and Scrutiny Committee’.

7. What is the benefits for patients? • LINKs have the potential to make it easier to engage with local active citizen groups and voluntary and community organisations. • LINKs will also simplify the often confusing picture of patient and user engagement and make health and social care services more accountable. • Give patients, families and carers a stronger voice in how their health and social care services are delivered. • Find out what patients want, monitor local services and use their powers to hold them to account. • LINKs help patients and the community have a stronger local voice. • LINKs get patients, carers and their families involved, and reduce social exclusion and isolation. • LINKs create relationships between people who use services and health and social care providers.

8. Why is it important? • Why are LINKs important? • LINKs make it easier for people to deliver health services (Health Practitioners/Doctors) to find out what the people they care for want. • Health practitioners and doctors have limited resources. • It can be hard for them to prioritise improving people's experience. • LINKs ensure that the experience of people who use services is prioritised • by helping them to express their views about their health and social care. • by talking to people who use services. • LINKs promote community involvement and empowerment.

9. What is the role of General Practitioners? • General practitioners encourage people they look after to join and take LINK. • General practitioners investigate what the issues are regarding the delivery of their services which, according to patients, should be improved. • To improve communication and develop trust and mutually beneficial relationships with patients. • To take into account their patients’ needs – when planning and developing services. • To use feedback from patients to improve the quality of their services. • General practitioners take into account the views of the people they serve when planning and developing services. • This helps to ensure that services are as good as they can be. • General practitioners work to improve the health care services provided to patients and their families.

10. References • Local Involvement Networks. What LINKs Mean for: Local Authorities, 2008. Accessed on 01/04/2010 at: www.nhscentreforinvolvement.nhs.uk • A simple explanation of LINKs at: www.direct.gov.uk/localinvolvementnetworks • Information about Government policy on: www.dh.gov.uk/patientandpublicinvolvement • Local Involvement Networks. Department of Health, 2010 http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/PatientAndPublicinvolvement/DH_076366