On Wednesday 19 October the Department published the summary of its analysis of the 2010-11 LINks’ Annual Reports (Local Involvement Networks).
Health Minister Simon Burns said:
“This report shows that Local Involvement Networks (LINks) are continuing to grow and that their activities can have a real impact on local services. It is encouraging to see that more local groups are becoming involved to strengthen relationships in the community and engage with hard to reach groups.
“Under our modernisation plans, patients, service users, and the public will have an even stronger voice and the NHS and local care services will be more accountable for the quality of care they provide. The role of LINks will be strengthened through the development of Local HealthWatch to champion the views of patients and the public, and drive improvements in the quality of health and social care services.
“We will continue to work with our partner organisations to help establish Local HealthWatch across the country and help improve people’s care.”