CSV, Regional Voices, NAVCA and National Voices have launched a three-month drive called Healthwatch-Communities Involved, with the aim of raising awareness among local people, community groups and volunteers about how they can help shape health and social care services in their area.
Healthwatch-Communities Involved aims to increase involvement in Healthwatch and make it easier for people from all backgrounds and interests to hold their services to account.
They are inviting local charities, individuals, carers and patient groups to declare their support and interest by signing up online. The charities will then make sure that people who sign up are kept informed about events and developments, and are invited to get involved with local Healthwatch activities in their area.
From 1 April local Healthwatch, a new local consumer champion with powers to hold local services to account, will be set up in every city and county council in England – replacing the current Local Involvement Networks (LINks). Healthwatch will also play a role at the national level through Healthwatch England, to give a national voice to the key issues affecting people who use health and care services.
Influencing health and wellbeing boards
A member of each local Healthwatch will have a seat on the local health and wellbeing board, meaning that they are ideally placed to influence the local priorities of the health and wellbeing boards.
As previously reported, less than half of health and wellbeing boards currently included plans for improving end of life care in their public strategies.
Regional Voices has published a good briefing on how charities can influence the new health and wellbeing boards. The briefing provides an overview of health and wellbeing boards, joint strategic needs assessments and joint health and wellbeing strategies and outlines how charities can input into their local commissioning cycle.
The briefing is part of a suite of resources Regional Voices is producing to help support the voluntary sector in working with the new health and care commissioning structures.
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