Towards HealthWatch Group
6 February 2012
At Blackpool LINk’s Open Event on Friday 7th October, Jacquie Mutch gave a presentation on Healthwatch and Blackpool LINk being given Pathfinder status. Jacquie invited people to join the Healthwatch Working Group to give their views and opinions, which will feed into the Healthwatch Implementation Group, which will ensure a smooth transition into Healthwatch next April 2013.
The next ‘Towards HealthWatch’ meeting will take place on Monday 6 February 2012, 5pm at Blackpool Town Hall.
I would like to take this opportunity to update you on some developments that have taken place nationally.
The Department of Health informed us at the beginning of January that the new start date for establishing Local HealthWatch will now be April 2013, not October 2012. This is in response to feedback saying that Local HealthWatch could not be ready for October 2012.
Funding is being made available to each of the 75 HealthWatch Pathfinders. Each pathfinder will receive £5k by the end of this financial year.
New funding of £3.2m will be made available in 2012/13 for start up costs in setting up Local HealthWatch over the next 12 months and includes costs such as staff recruitment/training, office set up costs, and branding. This is in addition to other money that has been allocated for LINks. Further advice of funding for Local HealthWatch in 2013/14 will be made available at the end on 2012.
A partnership set up by the Department of Health between Local Government Association, Regional Voices and NHS Institute, is to provide support to local authorities and their delivery partners to continue to develop local HealthWatch.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at the Blackpool Office on 01253 622222, and I look forward to seeing you all at the meeting on Monday 6 February 2012.