HealthWatch Pathfinder

Oldham awarded health pathfinder status

Oldham Local Involvement Network (LINk) has been awarded HealthWatch Pathfinder status by the Department of Health.

The LINk is a statutory engagement network that aims to gather views, opinions and experiences from people who use health and social care services in order to work with commissioners to improve and develop them.

HealthWatch will build upon this work, replacing LINks in 2012 and having the added functions of information and signposting for people as well as NHS complaints advocacy.

Councillor Phil Harrison, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services and Health, said: “This is an important step forward for the Borough which gives us a head start in getting to grips with how the HealthWatch initiative can be a powerful “consumer champion” for health and social care.”

The Oldham HealthWatch Pathfinder will focus on testing out ways to best work with the new decision-making structures that are emerging as part of NHS reforms - including the Health and Wellbeing Board, the Clinical Commissioning Group and the Enhanced Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.

The aim is to develop meaningful and powerful ways to inform these key decision makers using people’s life experiences so that local services can be as closely aligned to user’s needs as possible.

For further information contact Ursula Hussain, Oldham LINk Manager on 0161 622 5700, or e-mail ursula@oldhamlink.org.uk