Agenda item

The purpose of this report is to set out how the council will implement the requirements of The Health and Social Care Act 2012 in relation to the creation of a local Healthwatch and Complaints Advocacy Service.  The act requires the council to establish local Healthwatch by April 2013.

Phil Newby presented the report that detailed the creation and role of a local Healthwatch that are required under the Health and Social Care Act 2012.  Under the Act, local authorities would be statutorily required to ensure that an effective and efficient local Healthwatch was operating in their area by April 2013.  Phil Newby explained that the local Healthwatch should act as a ‘consumer champion’ and would have a seat on the Health and Wellbeing Board, as well as ensuring the views and experiences of patients, carers and other service users are taken into account during the preparation of local needs assessments and strategies, such as the JSNA and authorisation of the CCGs.  The local Healthwatch would also offer an information service that would provide people with information about their choices and what to do when things go wrong.  Phil Newby advised that in contrast to Brent Local Involvement Network (LINk), the local Healthwatch will be a corporate body carrying out statutory functions and must be a social enterprise, which although not legally defined, the Department of Health’s current view was that it meant a ‘business with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for at purpose in the business or in the community.’ 

Phil Newby advised that a two stage competitive procurement process was being undertaken in accordance with the council’s Standing Orders to award an organisation to operate the Healthwatch.  He drew Members’ attention to the procurement timetable which started with the invitation to tender on 27 November 2012 with contract starting on 1 April 2013.  A consultation had also been held on 23 October to obtain feedback from residents, members of community and voluntary groups and councillors on the role of the local Healthwatch and the overriding views were that it must have a local focus.  Phil Newby added that the local Healthwatch would be expected to interact with this committee.

Councillor Gladbaum commented that in the past, community health councils had operated and were effective and she asked whether the local Healthwatch would operate in a similar way.  Councillor Leaman asked if there was any more information on the structure of the local Healthwatch.  Councillor Hunter sought further clarification with regard to the mention in the report that local authorities were to take on responsibility for commissioning an NHS complaints advocacy from April 2013.

The Chair sought confirmation as to when decision to award the contract to operate the local Healthwatch would be made. 

In reply, Phil Newby commented that the structure of the local Healthwatch and how it would operate would be included in the contract specification as part of the tender criteria.  In respect of the local authority’s responsibility to commission an NHS complaints advocacy, he advised that would be part of a pan London scheme.

Mark Burgin (Policy and Performance Officer, Strategy, Partnerships and Improvement) advised that the decision to award the contract would take place in January 2013.

The Chair welcomed the report and asked that a further update be provided at a future meeting.