A supplementary report to the local Healthwatch summary report has been published. This report covers issues around the local Healthwatch regulations and provides information on the department’s approach to the drafting of regulations in response to the views received from the 6 week consultation.
From the end of July to mid September 2012, the department consulted with relevant stakeholders who have responsibility for the commissioning and provision of health and social care services for their views about 2 proposed local Healthwatch regulations.
Healthwatch will be the new consumer champion for both health and social care. It will exist in 2 distinct forms: local Healthwatch, which will be established in April 2013 at local level, and Healthwatch England, which was established on 1 October 2012 at national level. Local Healthwatch will replace Local Involvement Networks (LINks), carrying forward both current LINks functions and new, additional functions.