The Care Quality Commission checks whether hospitals, care homes and care services are meeting government standards. Visit our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Healthwatch

Healthwatch England will act as a champion for those who sometimes struggle to be heard.

Anna Bradley, Chair of Healthwatch.

Healthwatch is the new independent consumer champion created to gather and represent the views of the public.

Healthwatch will play a role at both national and local level and will make sure that the views of the public and people who use services are taken into account.

Healthwatch England will work with local Healthwatch and will also:

advise the NHS Commissioning Board, English local authorities, Monitor and the Secretary of State.
have the power to recommend that action is taken by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) when there are concerns about health and social care services.

Find out How CQC works with LINks and other groups.

Local Healthwatch, launching in April 2013, will take on the work of the Local Involvement Networks (LINks) and will also:

represent the views of people who use services, carers and the public on the Health and Wellbeing boards set up by local authorities.
provide a complaints advocacy service from 2013 to support people who make a complaint about services.
report concerns about the quality of health care to Healthwatch England, which can then recommend that the CQC take action.

Download the transition plan below to find out more about local Healthwatch.

Healthwatch transition plan and appendix

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Find your local LINk…

From April 2013, local Healthwatch organisations will build on the knowledge and experiences of existing Local Involvement Networks (LINks) who work together to improve health and social care services in their area.

Until then, you can Find your nearest LINk on the Healthwatch website.