1. HealthWatch Local Consumer Voices for Health & Social Care Margaret McLeod North West Transition Alliance HealthWatch Lead 4 th October 2011

2. HealthWatch Statement of Intent HealthWatch will be the independent consumer champion for the public - locally and nationally - to promote better outcomes in health for all and in social care for adults. HealthWatch will be representative of diverse communities. It will provide intelligence - including evidence from people's views and experiences - to influence the policy, planning, commissioning and delivery of health and social care. Locally, it will also provide information and advice to help people access and make choices about services as well as access independent complaints advocacy to support people if they need help to complain about NHS services. HealthWatch will have credibility and public trust through being responsive and acting on concerns when things go wrong, and operating effectively and efficiently.

3. Local HealthWatch Influencing Role Health and Wellbeing Boards Overview &Scrutiny / Scrutiny function Local Public Health function Clinical Commissioning Groups Providers

4. Local HealthWatch Functions Representing the ‘Collective Voice’ on Health and Wellbeing Board Scrutinising Quality of Service Provision Informing Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy Informing the Commissioning decision making processes Signposting – Supporting People to Access Information about Choices Providing local evidence based information to inform strategic decision making

5. Local HealthWatch From LINks to HealthWatch LINks is a membership network with no legal status. Local HealthWatch will be developed alongside current LINks activity LINks functions will carry on until HealthWatch established and will then be absorbed into new organisation (October 2012) Government is clear that Local HealthWatch will be a statutory organisation – a ‘body corporate’. Local HealthWatch will be independent of government – will be able to employ people, contract for services, hold property

6. Representing Community Voice Local HealthWatch Local Champion Voice Local HealthWatch Community Groups, Voluntary Organisations BME GroupsCarers Children & Young People Mental HealthOlder People Disability Groups LGBT Other Groups, Working Age People

7. HealthWatch England Taking the Local Voice to National Statutory Committee of the Care Quality Commission Differ from CQC – not just focused on specific providers but on quality of service in a local area It will provide leadership, advice and support to local HealthWatch Provide advice to the National Commissioning Board, Monitor and the Secretary of State Have Powers to propose a CQC investigation of poor services

8. HealthWatch England Taking the Local Voice to National Its focus and role In the interests and experiences of people who use services Quality – gathering information, analysis, reporting Reflect the views of Local HealthWatch Amplify the local user voice

9. Local HealthWatch North West Pathfinders BlackburnBlackpool Cheshire EastCumbria LiverpoolOldham StockportTrafford WiganWarrington

10. Margaret McLeod HealthWatch Lead Transition Alliance Team Margaret.mcleod@transitionalliancenw.nhs.uk Tel – 0161 625 7478