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Summer 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||
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REPORTS | |||||||||||||||||
| Self Directed Support in Richmond - will there be winners and losers? | ||||||||||||||||||
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Richmond LINk announces review of new system of social care support. At a meeting organised by Richmond LINk on the evening of June 30th, we asked the question of the community; "Social Care in Richmond - is Self Directed Support the answer?"Richmond LINk also announced that it is to embark on a year-long review, involving the whole community, to find out what Self Directed Support really means for Richmond. Click here to read the full report and details of the review on the Richmond LINk website.
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| Richmond LINk one year on - Annual General Meeting and the election of the Steering Committee | ||||||||||||||||||
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A year on from its launch, Richmond LINk will hold its first AGM at 2pm on Wednesday, 11th November at the Crossway, St. Stephen's Church, 306 Richmond Road, Twickenham TW1 2PD. All LINk members are welcome, as are members of the public. We will be reporting on our first year of activity and on some of our plans for future work and how our members and the wider community can get involved. Click here to find out more about the election process and how you can apply to become a Steering Committee Member. In the event of an election taking place, only individual LINk members can vote. If you are an organisational member and you wish to vote, then please contact us to become an individual member. Please also contact us if you are unsure of your membership status.
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| Richard McIvor, LINK Committee member, reports on his involvement with the South West London Acute Adult Mental Health Review. | ||||||||||||||||||
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In February this year I was invited to join the Project Board for the South West London Acute Adult Mental Health Strategic Planning as an observer for Richmond LINk. Since then I have attended 2 meetings run by NHS Richmond which is leading on a review of the provision of inpatient acute adult mental health services across South West London. NHS Richmond commissions these services for the borough's residents and they are largely provided by the South West London Mental Health Trust. Click here to read the full report and to find out how Richmond LINk is engaging the local community in feeding into this important review. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Baroness Young's visit to Richmond LINk | ||||||||||||||||||
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Richmond LINk met with Baroness Young, the Chair of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), earlier this month to discuss plans for the future regulation of health and social care providers. The CQC is the new health and social care regulator for England which, unlike its predecessor organisations, covers both health and social care to give a fully joined-up picture of these services. The Commission's aim is to ensure better care for everyone in hospital, in a care home and at home. Baroness Young emphasised the need for a more patient-centred approach to care and outlined some of the CQC's plans for ensuring that the views of users and the public are at the heart of everything they do. She said: "Regulation is not about trying to catch organisations out but rather about helping them to work better for patients and users of services. I believe that there's an appetite among members of the public for good news stories; hospitals and care homes providing a good quality of care deserve due recognition and praise." Nevertheless, recent failures, such as Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and Haringey Council's alleged negligence in the case of Baby Peter, have revealed deficiencies in the regulatory system and inevitably cast doubt on the rigour of assessment procedures. Rather than simply providing an overall quality rating for a hospital or care home, Baroness Young recognised that most people at one time or another will be more interested in the standard of care relating to a specific department or service. Consequently, she would like the Commission to provide the public with more meaningful and accessible assessments so helping us all in our health and social care choices. Access to such information is becoming ever more vital as health and social care reform is moving towards increased personal choice, enabling patients to have more say in the care they receive. Margaret Dangoor, Chairman of Richmond upon Thames LINk, said, "It was really heartening to hear about the CQC's plans to improve regulation of health and care services which affect all of us at one time or another in our lives. Baroness Young spoke with obvious commitment about the need to really listen to and involve users, carers and members of the public in all their work. We at Richmond LINk look forward to working at a local level to support the work of the CQC in ensuring the best possible care for everyone." | ||||||||||||||||||
| Annual Review | ||||||||||||||||||
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Richmond LINk will be producing an Annual Review with details of the LINk's achievements in its first year. This will be available at the AGM on 11th November.
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| Results of the London-wide stroke and trauma consultation | ||||||||||||||||||
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Some of you may be aware of, or indeed may have taken part in, Healthcare for London's consultation on London-wide stroke and trauma services which we flagged up in a LINk bulletin earlier this year. The consultation set out proposals for the creation of new world-class specialist centres which would provide immediate care for stroke and major trauma patients. Click here for the results of the consultation and what it means for local services.
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| WHAT'S ON - events, meetings and consultations | ||||||||||||||||||
| Kingston Hospital's Consultation on becoming a Foundation Trust | ||||||||||||||||||
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Opportunity to have your say about its plans and how you and the public can be involved What is a Foundation Trust? NHS foundation trusts are a new type of NHS trust in England. They have been created to devolve decision-making from central government control to local organisations and communities, so they are more responsive to the needs and wishes of their local people. The introduction of NHS foundation trusts represents a profound change in the history of the NHS and the way in which hospital services are managed and provided. Kingston Hospital is currently running a consultation on its application to become an NHS Foundation Trust and has arranged a number of public meetings throughout its catchment area. These events provide an opportunity to hear about its more general plans but also, importantly, how local people can be involved as members of the new body and the arrangements for electing local people and patients to the Council of Governors. Richmond represents 24% of the patient population that Kingston Hospital treats and it is proposed that 4 (out of 15) Governors representing the public are elected from the residents of our borough. A public consultation meeting is being held in Richmond at 7.00 - 8.00pm For further information on these meetings and the consultation click here or call 020 8934 3843.
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| Public Meeting on End of Life Care | ||||||||||||||||||
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NHS Richmond is working with the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames to develop a joint End of Life Care strategy. You are invited to attend a half day event with local experts on end of life care. The purpose of the meeting is to raise awareness locally about end of life care issues and services and to help NHS Richmond understand better the end of life care needs and views of the local community. 9.15 am - 1.30pm To book your place please contact NHS Richmond on 0208 973 3082 or email involve@rtpct.nhs.uk. For more information about NHS Richmond's work on end of life care and to complete an online questionnaire please visit NHS Richmond's website.
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| On the Move - information session on accessible transport services | ||||||||||||||||||
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KCIL (Kingston Centre for Independent Living) and Transport for All are hosting an event aimed at all disabled and older people who use accessible transport services and are residents of the boroughs of Richmond and Kingston. The session will provide an update of all the latest accessible transport news to ensure that residents are getting the best out of existing services. There will also be the opportunity to ask questions and express your views. 12.30pm Please call the Transport for All office on 020 7737 2339 to register for this event by the 31st August. Transport for All may be able to assist you with transport, although places are limited.
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| Invitation from NHS Richmond - help shape local health priorities | ||||||||||||||||||
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Following on from a first health priorities event in June, NHS Richmond would like to invite you to a follow up health priorities workshop on To book your place, please contact Caroline O'Neill, Patient and Public Involvement Manager on 020 8973 3094 or email involve@rtpct.nhs.uk. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Feedback and Contact Details | ||||||||||||||||||
We want to hear from YOU!Richmond LINk is eager to hear what Richmond residents think of their health and social care services. If you are an individual and would like to talk to us about any aspect of health or social care, then please just pick up the phone to us. Alternatively you can send us an email, write to us or fill in a form, available from the website, telling us about a particular issue or area of concern. If you are an organisation and would like us to come and talk to you and your staff or clients / users about Richmond LINk, then please get in touch and we will arrange a meeting. Contact Details Richmond upon Thames LINk Michael Derry Hilary Davidson
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Richmond LINk is managed on behalf of LBRuT by Richmond Council for Voluntary Service. Company No 3730089 Registered Charity No 1075259 | ||||||||||||||||||
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