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Local Involvement Networks (LINks)

News update

We are pleased to announce that the Carers Federation has been appointed as the host organisation for the Walsall LINk.  The Carers Federation are a registered charity, operational since 1992 in the East Midlands, with much experience to bring to Walsall and we are looking forward to a fruitful partnership.

You will have a chance to meet staff from the Carers Federation at our third stakeholder event on Friday 13 June 2008 at Beechdale Community and Lifelong Learning Centre.  More information on the Carers Federation and the event will be available in the May 2008 newsletter.

Introduction

From April 2008, the Government plans to replace Patient Forums with Local Involvement Networks (LINks).

LINks are being introduced to help strengthen the system that enables communities to influence the care they receive.

Backed up by certain powers, LINks will:

  • provide everyone in the community – from individuals to voluntary groups - with the chance to say what they think about local health and social care services – what is working and what is not.
  • give people the chance to influence how services are planned and run.
  • feedback to services what people have said about services so that things can be improved.

Local communities need to begin to get ready for LINks.  The information on these web pages explains how we are doing this in Walsall and how you can get involved.

Where have Local Involvement Networks come from?

In 2003, the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health was set up to support Patient Forums.

Our Health, Our Care, Our Say Health and Social Care White Paper 2006 talked about people having, ‘more choice and a louder voice' about the services they get.

A Stronger Local Voice, published in July 2006 discussed new ways for people who use health and social care services to have a say in how they are planned and run, this included Local Involvement Networks–or LINks.

Click here to read A Stronger Local Voice (PDF 674KB)

Legislation

  • The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill Part 11 makes provision for the abolition of Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in health and Patients’ Forums.  
  • It imposes a duty on local authorities to make contractual arrangements for the involvement of people
  • The Bill, has completed its Committee stage in the House of Lords, and will likely be passed by both Houses of Parliament by November 2007 when it will become statute.

Click here for details of the Bill (PDF 835KB)

Click here for the Parliamentary timetable

Contact us

Any queries relating to LINks can be directed to:

Emma Palmer
User Involvement Manager
10th Floor Tameway Tower
Bridge Street
Walsall WS1 1JZ

Telephone 01922 658431

Fax 01922 621815

Email links@walsall.gov.uk

This page was last updated on 06 May 2008