Page 8 - link magazine

8 swindonlink.com • February 2010
Making local health services accountable by getting citizens involved

Getting to grips with another LINk, the Swindon Local Involvement Network
How do ordinary people begin to understand the complexity of how local health services work, let alone ensure they are responsive and
accountable to the day to day needs of users? asks Jo Osorio, coordinator of Swindon LINk.
It sounds a mammoth task but a possible - both now and contract from Swindon Borough
dozen Swindon people, all vol- in the future. Council until June 2011, a small team
unteers, are now serving on the This includes un- - Jo Osorio, James Brown and Gill
Local Involvement Network (LINk) derstanding the local Welsman-Clarke - are helping the
steering group. health and social care LINk make the most effective con-
Their main task is to support environment, the chal- nections between Swindon people
the active involvement of as many lenges faced by plan- and organisations in the health and
Swindon citizens as possible work- ners, commissioners social care field.
ing with the borough council and and providers of care The council and NHS Swindon
NHS Swindon, amongst others, to services with the tight- have a duty to involve, consult
make sure health and social care est budgets for years and engage with citizens and, for
services are of the highest quality and the introduction example, the borough’s Connecting
of personal health and People Connecting Places initiative
care budgets. should be one of the ways that
Looking LINk participants are happens.
for a beginning to work in The LINk is just another of the
Career task groups monitor- LINk team members Jo Osorio, centre, James Brown and available mechanisms established
in Care? ing and scrutinising Gill Welsman-Clarke, with advisory group members, in each social services authority area
how services are actu-
with Department of Health funding
Swindon Carers Centre is looking for ally being provided and Joyce Bishop, front, Nazma Ramruttun, back channelled through the council.
people with a passion for care, to join contributing at planning forums (VAS) has the job of supporting To find out more and to get in-
our care team supporting people to live where new ideas for improvement and enabling the LINk to develop. volved, call the LINk office on 497777
independently in their own homes. are developed. With what’s known as a ‘hosting’ or mail: [email protected]
Working a minimum of 16 hours a week, None of this happens in isolation
which will include evenings, weekends and the LINk team is determined GWH in touch with patients since
and early mornings, a competitive rate to work with other user networks,
and mileage allowance paid. voluntary and community or- it became a foundation trust
ganisations and activists to ensure
Car essential and enhanced CRB required. Just over a year ago Swindon’s Great Western Hospital became a NHS
For an application pack please contact: coherence, avoid duplication and Foundation Trust - an independent, not-for-profit, public-benefit corporation,
build on what they do
1 Wood Street. Swindon SN1 4AN accountable to local communities rather than central government control.
Voluntary Action Swindon
Clivey Link 130x93:Layout 2 26/11/09 17:22 Page 1 Kevin McNamara, head of marketing and communications, explains the
Telephone 01793 542285
benefits and the progress the hospital has made since its management
status changed.
We have now been a Foundation Trust for 13 months and during this
time Great Western Hospital has continued to provide safe, high qual-
ity care and improve patients’ experiences.
As a district general hospital, we
provide general and acute surgery,
critical care, coronary care, diagnos-
tics, paediatric medicine and sur-
gery, trauma and orthopaedics and
midwifery and obstetric services.
The hospital, built in 2002, pro-
vides a high standard of modern
accommodation with one third of
beds in single en-suite rooms. We
have achieved the highest level of
care standards (NHSLA 3) for our
maternity services.
Patients tell us that they appreci-
ate our friendly, approachable staff
and shorter waiting times as the
Trust has performed well against Men’s cancer support
both national and local waiting group launched
time targets. A men-only cancer group has been
As a Foundation Trust we are
more accountable to local people, launched by Swindon based group
Affected By Cancer (ABC) with the
so if you would like to get involved help of a £2,000 grant from Macmil-
in the hospital, you can become a lan Cancer Support.
member. You need to be aged 12 Evening meetings at Lawn Com-
or over and live in Swindon or munity Centre will aim to give men
surrounding counties. with cancer or caring for somebody
For details, call Karen Smith,
membership officer, on 604185 or with the disease the chance to
talk to other men in a non-hospital
mail: [email protected] environment.
Or register online at http://
For details call Fred Bassett on
members.gwh.nhs.uk 533373
www.gwh.nhs.uk www.abcswindon.org

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