NIHR Health Services Research (HSR) programme and INVOLVE joint funding call: Public involvement in research
There is funding for a range of studies in both size and duration using different approaches and within a variety of areas of NHS, public health and social care research. The closing date for submission of outline proposals is before 1pm on Thursday 6 May 2010. Please visit the HSR website for further information.
Primary Care Trusts and their LINks
The National Association of LINks Members (NALM) has published a report 'LINks and their PCTs'. It investigates the degree to which LINks have developed high level engagement with PCT board members.
Commissioning for Health
The Centre for Public Scrutiny has published Commissioning for health: a guide for overview and scrutiny committees on NHS commissioning and the World Class Commissioning programme, a guide to assist OSCs in understanding the role, purpose and process of commissioning health services in the NHS.
User-Led Organisation Action and Learning
The Winter edition of the User-Led Action and Learning newsletter has just been published. It focuses on news on the User-Led Organisation project as well as giving broader insight into other agendas such as personalisation and the work of the Office of the Third Sector.
NHS Evidence Advisory Committee lay members sought
The NHS Evidence Advisory Committee is an independent standing committee of the Board of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). The committee provides independent accreditation recommendations to help identify, set and clarify standards and provide a quality assured evidence base for everyone in involved in health and social care. Committee members are drawn from potential users of the service such as clinicians, social care professionals, commissioners and experts in relevant areas of work such as research and methodology as well as lay members. NICE has two vacancies for lay members to join the committee. Lay members of the committee play a key role in making sure that patient, carer and public views, experiences and interests inform the committee’s decisions. Further details of the role and how to apply can be found on the NICE web site.
Public Information on LINks
The Department of Health has published a new public information leaflet on Local Involvement Networks (LINks). Help Shape your Health and Social Care explains how members of the public can influence the way services are run.
A brief guide to Local Involvement Networks
The Department of Health has published a guide for health and social care managers which explains about LINks and how working with them should be a key part of commissioning, running and reviewing health and social care services.
Patient and carer involvement in chronic disease
NHS Evidence - supportive and palliative care has published its second Annual Evidence Update on the topic of patient and carer involvement in chronic disease. It includes literature from 2009 and a few earlier publications of note. The papers cover systematic reviews of literature on user experience of health care, systematic reviews of user involvement in educating healthcare professionals in giving better care in chronic and terminal conditions and guidance and policy documents on user involvement in chronic illnesses and end of life care.
Quality Accounts
A letter has been issued to chief executives by the NHS Medical Director setting out the role of LINks in Quality Accounts.
Care Quality Commission - guide to information submission
The CQC has published a guide to assist organisations such as LINks, overview and scrutiny committees, learning disability partnership boards and voluntary organisations to help them submit information to the Commission (an easy read version is also available). An on line form can be accessed from which local groups can communicate their views.
New edition of the NALM Directory
A new edition of the National Association for LINks Members (NALM) Directory has been issued. It gives names and contact details for LINks, contact details for strategic health authorities and a listing of LINks hosts.
