1. LINks joint meeting
Health and Social Care
Bill update
Eddy McDowall & Ann Bullen
Health and wellbeing workstream leads
22-02-12

4. It’s Lent
If your public
engagement strategy
had to give up one
bad habit, what
would it be?

5. Lords progress:
http://tinyurl.com/5sscgpe
Latest events: 8th and 13th February
Report Stage with line by line examination
Amendments discussed covered clauses 1 – 6, 8-14
and 19 of Bill
Next event: 27th February
Report Stage with line by line examination

6. Lawful, or pre-
emptive?
“the work currently underway is taking place under the
broad powers of the Secretary of State and NHS bodies
under existing legislation [the 2006 Act]…the arrangement
of PCTs into management clusters…the creation of
pathfinder consortia are possible under existing powers in
the National Health Service Act 2006.
“…redundancies in PCTs reflect the longstanding
challenge, which pre-dates the Bill, to deliver up to £20bn
of efficiencies across the NHS over the next four years for
reinvestment in frontline services".
House of Lords, Hansard, 8 Feb 2012: Column 260

7. Ongoing debate
The government’s health reforms will do “irreparable harm” to the NHS, a
group of public health doctors and specialists, including Sir Michael
Marmot, have warned.
10 october 2011
NHS 'in peril' if health reforms fail, warn senior GPs
27 January 2012
The editors of the British Medical Journal, the Health Service Journal and
the Nursing Times say the Health and Social Care Hill is so badly thought
out that it will leave "an unstable system that is only partially fit for
purpose".
31 January 2012
Surrey health and wellbeing board backs bill
2 February 2012

8. Ongoing debate
Health and Social Care Bill may compromise patient safety
A former NHS hospital Chief Executive and now senior academic at the
University of Exeter Business School, has warned that patient safety may
worsen if the Health and Social Care Bill is passed in its current form.
2012
The Faculty continues to voice concerns about the Health and Social
Care Bill and to work with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges to
seek changes as the Bill goes through the Report stage in the House
of Lords.
15 February 2012
NHS reform: Difficult birth, slow recovery
A divisive NHS bill may end up being less alarming than its many foes
predict
18 February 2012

9. Ongoing debate
PM under fire, Darzi re-emerges and
Lansley stays silent
The commotion surrounding Prime
Minister David Cameron's No 10 health bill
‘summit' dominates the health headlines.
Andrew Lansley's street-side showdown
with a veteran health campaigner ahead of
the meeting. Only the inefficient need fear
21 February 2012 NHS competition
NHS reforms: Lib Dems submit emergency New research from the LSE
motion to spring conference shows competition in the
Party activists table motion calling for NHS – the issue that most
entire section of the bill extending agitates the opponents of
competition in the health service to be reform – is actually a good
scrapped thing.
21 February 2012 21 February 2012

13. Key issues
• ‘Don’t strip HealthWatch of its statutory status:
NALM challenges Minister on downgrading of
HealthWatch’
(http://www.nalm2010.org.uk/uploads/6/6/0/6/6606397/dont_let_....pdf)
• Concern over words describing creation of
statutory body
• End of February, Government will need to state
intentions
• Children’s social care
• Branding work continues

14. Around England
North East: LHW and HOSC
North West: No difference between Pf and non-Pf
York & Hum: Funding clarity requested
West Midlands: CCG link to LHW
East Midlands: Some awaiting guidance
East of England: Commissioning framework
London: What does good look like?
South West: Good data and public health

15. Essex
• Pathfinder with joint working with Southend-on-
Sea and Thurrock unitaries
• Two models explored:
• 1) Small core membership supported by large group of associate
members, who have less formal responsibility than core members
and won’t have full voting rights
• 2) Membership equivalent to hospital trust structure where board
members with formal responsibilities are elected from a broader
trust membership
• Essex and Southend LINk to be abolished by
commencement of relevant part of Bill (c. July
2012)

16. Current work
Ongoing idea development on how Local HealthWatch will
operate. Current focus on:
• Information: range of key issues for future
planning, including:
• successful signposting depends on good relationships with
statutory partners
• Connecting into what’s already there
• a ‘transition plan’ from PCT PALS to local HealthWatch
• importance of training and support for staff
• different levels of support : signposting vs formal referrals
• Importance of recording systems that work for staff and
volunteers

17. Forthcoming work
Further workshops on:
• communication
• how HealthWatch will influence specialised
commissioning
• how HealthWatch can engage with whole
community including people in secure settings
and people in temporary accommodation (to
complement learning coming from Pathfinder
areas)

18. Other news
• LINks workshops:
www.regionalvoices.net/2012/01/free-learning-
events-for-links-members/
• Snap survey: through Regional Voices
• Return date – 27th FebruaryLocal HealthWatch
Pathfinder
- survey of lead
• Consultation on regulations for HealthWatch
commissioners
England: comments deadline Friday 2nd March
• Funding should have come through for Pathfinder

19. Eddy McDowall & Ann Bullen
Health and Wellbeing workstream leads
eddy.mcdowall@hscpartnership.org.uk
ann.bullen@hscpartnership.org.uk
www.hscpartnership.org.uk