To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he plans to take to promote the involvement of patients and the public in monitoring the effectiveness of services provided for the NHS by the (a) third and (b) private sector; (183800)

The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 set out important new arrangements for the involvement of patients and the public in health and social care, including local involvement networks (LINks). LINks will enable local people to monitor local services irrespective of who provides them.

LINks will build on the work of voluntary and community sector groups and enable genuine involvement of a far greater number of people than is currently available, ensuring local communities have a stronger voice in the process of commissioning health and social care and enabling them to influence key decisions about the services they both use and pay for.

In order to ensure that independent sector providers—be they from the private or third-sector—cooperate with LINks, we will make directions requiring primary care trusts and local authorities to ensure that their contracts with the independent and third sectors allow LINks entry to appropriate premises and access to appropriate information. This will ensure that LINks will have the same levels of access as they do in the public sector.

These changes are aimed at promoting open and transparent communication between communities and the health service, and will develop trust and confidence, increasing accountability to local people.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to ensure members of local involvement networks (LINKs) are indemnified by his Department in relation to activities undertaken on behalf of a LINk in good faith. (183803)

It will be for local authorities to determine their own policies regarding local involvement networks (LINks) and indemnity. Authorities may choose to indemnify certain LINks members directly or stipulate that host organisations must make arrangements to do so as part of their LINks contracts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to ensure members of local involvement networks are paid appropriate expenses by the host. (183804)

It will be for each local involvement network (LINk) to determine its own policy regarding payment and reimbursement. However, we will remind LINks and host organisations that the Department’s ‘Reward and Recognition’ document, provides a useful guide for service providers, users and carers on the principles and practice of service user payment and reimbursement in health and social care.

A copy of the document is available in the Library and also on the Department’s website at:

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4138523

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that local involvement networks are provided with funds to establish regional and national networks and the means to monitor effectively (a) cancer, (b) mental health, (c) ambulance and (d) other services commissioned on a (i) regional and (ii) national basis. (183805)

While local involvement networks (LINks) will be independent and will have the power to develop their own priorities and agendas, they will need to develop relationships with a number of stakeholders to fulfil their statutory role effectively. In certain circumstances, LINks may want to work in partnership to monitor services provided by, for example, cancer networks, mental health services, ambulance trusts or other services commissioned across more than one Local Authority boundary. LINks may also wish to work together in regional groups, or even nationally to share experience and findings. There is nothing to prevent LINks using some of their funding to establish local, regional or national networks if they so wish.