Since January 2003, all NHS bodies have had a legal duty to involve and consult the public about the running of local health services. Patients are listened to and actions taken to meet their concerns.
There are many ways you can get involved to influence and improve health and social care services in your area. They include the following:
Healthwatch
Healthwatch is the new independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.
It operates both on a national and local level and ensures that the views of the public and people who use services are taken into account.
National level - Healthwatch England
Healthwatch England was established in October 2012. As a national body it works closely with local Healthwatch and advises NHS England (the commissioning board), local authorities, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the Secretary of State. It was set up as a committee of the CQC.
Healthwatch England also alerts the CQC to concerns about health and social care providers and recommends actions if necessary. It has its own identity within the CQC, and operates independently of them, but can use the CQC’s expertise and infrastructure
Healthwatch England is funded as part of the Department of Health’s grant in aid to the CQC and is required to make an annual report to parliament.
Local level - Local Healthwatch
Local Healthwatch organisations were established in April 2013. They take over the work previously done by the Local Involvement Networks (LINks) but with additional functions.
A local Healthwatch is an independent organisation, able to employ its own staff and to involve volunteers, so it can become the influential and effective voice of the public. It will have to keep accounts and make its annual reports available to the public.
The aim of local Healthwatch is to give citizens and communities a stronger voice to influence and challenge how health and social care services are provided within their locality.
- It represents the views of the public, patients, health and care service users and their carers and families on the health and wellbeing boards
- It reports to Healthwatch England any concerns about a health or social care service - Healthwatch England can then recommend that the CQC takes action if necessary
- It helps people find information about local health and care services, including how to access them
- It provides authoritative, evidence-based feedback to organisations responsible for commissioning or delivering local health and social care services
- It visits services and provides reports and recommendations about how these could be improved
Local Healthwatch has to be representative of its local community as laid out in the Health and Social Care Act 2012. This includes ethnic groups, different users of services, and carers.
The following website will provide information about Healthwatch's developments:
