New NHS watchdog aims to make a difference (From Redditch Advertiser)
Get involved! Send your photos, video, news & views by texting RA NEWS to 80360 or e-mail us
New NHS watchdog aims to make a difference
12:10pm Sunday 17th March 2013 in News
COUNCILLORS have thrown their weight behind a powerful new health watchdog launching next month – and insist it will help patients get a better deal.
From April, Healthwatch Worcestershire will be the county’s consumer champion for flagging up complaints and voicing opinions on the NHS.
It will also gather people’s views and experiences of the service they receive, in the hope it can drive up standards.
Worcestershire County Council has agreed to sign the final contract to allow Healthwatch to become the official NHS watchdog and says it is confident the project will make a difference.
The Government has confirmed it will give Healthwatch Worcestershire a budget of £321,000, which will be passed to County Hall to forward on.
County councillor Marcus Hart, cabinet member for health, said: “This body is the new people’s champion in Worcestershire, it will be there for the public.
“We’ve got an excellent chairman in Peter Pinfield and executive directors with vast amounts of experience
“I believe it will be of benefit to people across the county and in a nutshell, we are very nearly there.”
Worcestershire County Council Leader Adrian Hardman added: “I agree and think it all looks very promising – I think it will do a first rate job.”
Lew Smoralz says...
1:43pm Sun 17 Mar 13
He is hoping that it will do a fine job, but he knows little more than the rest of us.
Another government agency is not to be encouraged, but after the needless deaths of 1,200 patients at Stafford and Cannock something has to be done, so let's hope that this not just another statistics gatherer, and it really does help protect us from NHS neglect.