New consumer bodies for healthcare are far behind schedule, claims Labour

Faith

survey reveals 29% of Commons can not confirm that it will meet April deadline for the introduction of local HealthWatch bodies

A key element of the Government's reform of the NHS is "right out of the starting platform," Labour may claim, as it publishes figures showing a third of municipalities have not adopted new bodies to give greater voice to patients.

Liz Kendall, the shadow minister for care and older people, who Wednesday accused the government of ignoring the voice of patients after an investigation by the Freedom of Information advice not found the third can not guarantee that it will be able to run local bodies HealthWatch as planned on April 1.

Under the bill

health and welfare controversial advice are due to sign contracts to establish bodies, which are designed to replace local involvement networks and act as the new champion of the rights consumers in the NHS.

But freedom of labor survey information was found that 29% of the municipalities that responded that he could not confirm that they have a fully functioning local HealthWatch time. Almost two thirds of councils that responded (64%) did not answer if they outsource any legal right HealthWatch valid because the contract was still out of competition, according to Labour.

In total, 121 councils responded to the survey - a response rate of 81%. Coventry, one of the tips that they can not guarantee the timely introduction of HealthWatch body, said: "Due to a number of factors, including the uncertainty of the financial allocations available for advice HealthWatch will unable to formally establish HealthWatch Coventry April 1, 2013. "

Kendall tell the annual conference of National Voice, a coalition of charities and social health in England: "The government has made every effort to ensure that commissioning groups are undergoing clinical operation in April this year. playing cards worked as shade for months and adopted by a centralized authorization procedure driven.

• "HealthWatch In contrast, local - which is supposed to protect the interests of patients and the general public - is simply out of the starting block in most countries Many municipalities have not yet signed contracts with HealthWatch organizations. race, and some say it will take months before they work properly.
• "If local councils, hospitals and doctors do not know who will run HealthWatch, what chance have ordinary patients The government was so busy trying to do their job of reorganizing the scenes NHS has neglected the voice of patients and the public - at a time when it is desperately needed because of all the pressures on services and system changes "

Kendall also need a new style TripAdvisor site along the lines of patients conclusions Site nonprofit, to give patients greater involvement in improving the quality of care. Shadow Minister wrote to all MPs in England adviser register with the opinion of the patient, where patients post comments about their experience in the NHS. Health Services staff are alerted to a story in their field and can meet online.

Kendall said: "Websites like views of patients are a powerful tool for patients to tell their stories and see what others have said about the service, staff and local detailed information they need to deal with the low quality of care. This gives patients a personal voice and a powerful incentive to improve, a simple, fast and cost effective.

"Of course, decide which NHS care or service you want to use is not the same as choosing a hotel, but the underlying principle of TripAdvisor style sites - People want to know what others have to use a service to think about it - it will be increasingly important in the future, "
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