Page 35 - link magazine

swindonlink.com • May 2011 35
What future

for our NHS?
What is to happen to the NHS and
adult social care services locally
and nationally - and how can lo-
cal people influence services to
make them better? asks Jo Osorio
of the other Link - Swindon Local
Involvement Network, below.
On Wednesday 18 May Swindon
LINk holds an open meeting from
10.30am to 3.30pm, with a light
lunch included, at the Pilgrim
Centre, Regent Street to discuss
these questions.
Key speak-
ers will include
Cherry Jones,
acting joint di-
rector of public
health in Swin-
don and Lyn
Hill-Tout, chief
executive of
Great Western Hospitals NHS Trust.
Even though the coalition gov-
ernment has called a ‘time for reflec-
tion’ on the Health and Social Care
Bill on its way through parliament,
plans to establish Healthwatch
Swindon as the local health and care
consumer watchdog are beginning
to take shape.
The bill includes big changes
to the way health and care will
be planned and commissioned in
future with local GPs taking a big-
ger role. And from next April local
people should have greater influ-
ence over what is provided and paid
for with public funding - and how.
Local Involvement Network
(LINk) chair Derek Benfield said,
“our open meeting will begin to
help us shape how we develop the
LINk into Healthwatch Swindon
during the next twelve months.
“We do need to know if Link
magazine readers plan on coming
on 18 May so we can organise the
catering - so please get in touch.”
For details contact the LINk of-
fice at Voluntary Action Swindon,
1 John Street. Tel: 497777
www.swindonlink.org

Grey power plan
in Swindon
A number of senior citizens are
exploring wider interest in setting up
a local, independent Older People’s
Forum to promote the welfare and
interests of older people across
Swindon, and to facilitate discus-
sion and debate on their issues
and concerns.
The group is open to all over the age
of 55 years living within Swindon and
will meet three or four times a year.
If you think this is a good idea and/
or have an interest in being involved
mail David Brown: dave.abrown@
btinternet.com

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