Democratic Legitimacy in Health

Local Democratic Legitimacy in Health

The key Government proposals are:

• To strengthen public and patient involvement
• To improve integrated working
• For local authorities to be leaders in health improvement

Download Full Proposals [Adobe Acrobat PDF - 334.25 KB]

The key roles within these changes will be:

Care Quality Commission

• Will license healthcare providers against essential safety and quality requirements
• Inspect providers against the essential levels of safety and quality
• Inspect providers based on information from feedback and complaints

HealthWatch England

• Will be a statutory part of the Care Quality Commission
• Provide national leadership and support to local HealthWatch
• Identify poorly performing health and social care services and recommend to the Care Quality Commission that they investigate
• Be consulted about new commissioning guidelines

Local HealthWatch

Existing Local Involvement Networks (LINks) to become local HealthWatch whose role will be to:

• Promote patient and public involvement and seek views to inform local health services
• Comment on changes to local services
• Act as advocates for complaints
• Deliver ‘Citizen’s Advice Bureau’ style information service across health and social care
• Power to enter and view providers of health care
• Monitor the delivery of the NHS Constitution

Health and Wellbeing Boards

Option of a statutory health and wellbeing board at County Council level to:

• Lead the joint health needs assessment
• Promote joint planning and buying of services across health and social care
• Support pooled budget arrangements
• Monitor effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements
• Scrutinise major service redesign
• Delegate some functions to district/borough councils (optional)

OR

• Option for locally agreed arrangements

This Board will include the Local Authority Leader (or directly elected Mayor), local Councillors, NHS Commissioners, Local HealthWatch representatives, and voluntary sector and providers by invitation.

National Public Health Service

This new service will:

• Ensure delivery of public health services across the country
• Manage public health emergencies
• Be responsible for the appointments of Directors of Public Health within Local Authorities

Local Authorities and Health Improvement

Local Authorities will:

• Receive funding for prevention of ill health (ring fenced budget)
• Be responsible for local implementation of national health improvement campaigns
• Have freedom to allow local neighbourhoods to set local priorities working within a national framework