A new organisation which will allow members of the public to have a say on how health and social care services are run in South Gloucestershire has its inaugural meeting this Thursday (21st May).
Local Involvement Networks (LINks) aim to give citizens a stronger voice in how their health and social care services are delivered. Run by local individuals and groups and independently supported – the role of LINks is to find out what people want, monitor local services and to use their powers to hold them to account.
Everyone who lives in or receives health and social care services in South Gloucestershire is invited to attend this free event at the BAWA centre in Filton. There will be two duplicated session running; one from 2pm until 4pm and another in the evening from 6:30pm until 8:30pm.
This is South Gloucestershire’s chance to have a real say in their health and social care services, to get involved in a network and forum where their views can be heard by the people who are responsible for paying for (commissioning) and providing health and social care services in South Gloucestershire.
This includes all health services from GP services, through to community health services such as physiotherapy, to all the services that exist in your local hospitals. The social care services that the LINk can influence extend through all the adult social care services provided locally; including care homes, day care, respite and holiday care and the care provided in people’s homes.
The LINk can have a real influence on health and social care services. It works closely with your local NHS and your local authority; it can bring issues to the attention of the local overview and scrutiny committees and also to bodies such as the Healthcare Commission. It also has the power to occasionally inspect health and social care services where it has negotiated to do so with the service provider.
More Information:
- Health and Social Care Local Involvement Networks (Directgov)
- South Gloucestershire LINk
- Healthcare in Bradley Stoke (The Journal)
