THE ROLE OF THE HEALTH OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE Presentation to LINks Stakeholder Event

BACKGROUND Health and Social Care Act Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee Community Leadership

AIMS Ensure that health services are targeted towards achieving local health improvements, are accessible to and can be accessed by all local inhabitants Ensure that health services address the needs of the Bolton area and all of its inhabitants, including minorities and socially excluded groups Ensure that local health and health-related issues are tackled jointly across local agencies

DUTIES AND POWERS Be consulted by the NHS where there are major changes to health services Scrutinise the ongoing operation and planning of local health services Call NHS managers to give information and answer questions about services and decisions Take account of relevant information particularly from local PPIs Refer contested service changes to the Secretary of State

HEALTH SCRUTINY WILL NOT Act as a complaints service for individual patients and members of the public Be responsible for performance managing health there are a range of other bodies already undertaking this role

RELATIONSHIP WITH PPI Recognise important influencing and informing role Representatives invited to meetings of Health OSC Important contributor where changes to service models and methods of service delivery are planned

RELATIONSHIP WITH LINks Acknowledge change role Powerful role requiring service providers to respond to requests for information or to reports and recommendations made by LINks Can enter and view services Can refer issues to Health OSC for action Need to formalise new relationship