Health and social care

Powers for councils with social care responsibilities to hold NHS and social care services to account and to review matters relating to the health of local people are well established. These powers are exercised by elected local authority councillors sitting on overview and scrutiny committees.

Previous structures for patient and public involvement (Community Health Councils and Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Forums) reflected a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Reflecting the diversity that is developing in the provision of health and care services, recent government policy has been to set a framework for PPI that more reflects local needs in each area.
 
New ‘grass root’ mechanisms for local people and groups to get involved in health and adult social care issues were established in April 2008. Local Involvement Networks (LINks) are designed to enable individuals and groups in communities to give their views about services in ways that suit them. Local councils have a duty to ensure that a LINk is established in their area through contractual arrangements with independent Host organisations that help to set up and support the LINk. 
 
Alongside overview and scrutiny committees and LINks, NHS Foundation Trusts have elected public governors whose role is to influence the Board of Directors and the strategic direction of the Trust, providing a voice for the public membership of the Foundation Trust. There are also staff and partner governors to represent the views of a wide range of stakeholders in the direction of the Foundation Trust.
 
There are also non-executive Directors on FT Boards and the Boards of Primary Care Trusts and NHS Hospital Trusts who have a role to hold the executive Directors to account and contribute to the strategic direction of the Trust. In Foundation Trusts, non-executive Directors are appointed by the governors. In other Trusts, they are appointed by the independent Appointments Commission through a process of public advertisement and appointment.