Welcome to our official newsletter – LINkED UP Issue 2

In this issue:

• Partners in Participation – action and information needed
• More about the LINk sub-groups – views and comments requested on Diabetic Clinics at St Georges Hospital and Patient Transport at that hospital
• Website – what you said you wanted and how the website was improved
• Up and coming public meetings in December and January – your choice to take part in the election for the new Committee.

PARTNERS IN PARTICIPATION – action and information needed
The Interim Executive hosted a day on 10th November with potential LINk partners from the principal health and social care delivery organisations in Wandsworth. The success of the Wandsworth LINk will depend in large part on establishing effective relationships with these bodies that deliver the health and social care services Wandsworth people need.

This was the first meeting and so unsurprisingly, there were more questions than answers. The LINk needs to know who is doing what to avoid duplicating effort and we asked all the commissioners and providers of services to provide us with a list of committees and groups they currently supported and worked with in the areas of health and social care. Can LINk members go to them?

SUB-GROUPS AT WORK
The last newsletter mentioned that we had set up sub-groups to look after and push forward specific aspects of the LINk’s work. What have they been up to?

The Resources and Governance Sub-Group looks after the money and the way the LINk is run, making sure that the Host body that services the LINk Executive Committee is working the way the Committee wants and how the Committee and the sub-groups themselves are using the resources available to them. The topics on their agenda covered how often they met, the budget for the year and how expenses should be reimbursed.

The LINk will work to a Code of Conduct which will be published on the website.

The Secondary Health and Social Care Sub-Group met for the first time on 28th October and set itself its Terms of Reference which make clear that the sub-group’s remint is what happens to you when you go to hospital. The group has already identified six areas where action now could bring the LINk some quick wins. For the full list click here for the Sub-Group meeting minutes.

They include in particular concerns around Diabetic Clinics at St Georges Hospital and the provision of patient transport again at St Georges. The SHSC sub-group will be working with the hospital volunteers and former members of the now disbanded Patients’ Forum to look at the situation and report back. We will also be liaising with Kingston LINk to see if they are looking at this also. The St Georges patients’ group is reviewing transport now and the sub-group is looking forward to seeing what they have to say.

• Your views please
  Please give us any views you have on the two issues above (email us or post a comment on our website and they will be passed on to this group and help decisions about how best the LINk can follow through on these topics.

You can find all the details in the document B4 – Wandsworth LINk Sub-Group Structure (part of September’s meeting agenda files).

If you are interested in contributing to the work of any of these sub-groups, please contact Simonne Reid (email simonne@wandcareall.org.uk or telephone 020 8696 1709). Many of you indicated a general interest in these issues when you filled out the member questionnaire and this is a chance to join in on a particular piece of work.

NEW! IMPROVED! WEBSITE
Upgrades to the Wandsworth LINk website are complete – we hope you like the end result – more information about the changes and improvements are described here.

Look out for the event calendar which will let you see at a glance upcoming events and meetings.

Also on the website:
The latest report from the Professional Executive Committee (PEC) of Wandsworth Primary Care Trust, and a summary of Careline’s news about social care and health services from around the borough

HEAR ABOUT YOUR LINk – UP & COMING PUBLIC MEETINGS
Come to a meeting on Monday 15 December 2008 between 6 pm and 8 pm at York Gardens Library, Lavender Road, SW11 2UG. At this public meeting, the people who have been running the LINk since it started in June this year will tell you what they have been doing as members of the Interim Executive since they were elected in June this year.

• The Work Done
  The LINk have established working relations with the commissioners and providers of health & social care services in Wandsworth and is reaching out to all the many voluntary organisations and groups that exist in the Borough and are actively involved in health and social care. Changes in health and social care provision are now taking place which will affect many service users and their families and carers.

• Ask Your Questions
  All this will be reported to the December public meeting and there will be plenty of opportunity for LINk members to comment and ask questions and put forward suggestions for the coming year.

The second public meeting will be held on Monday 19 January 2009 between 6 pm and 8 pm at Earlsfield Library, Magdalen Road. This meeting will elect a new Executive Committee to take over from the Interim Executive.

• Stand for Election and Cast Your Vote
  You will be eligible to stand for election if you have signed up as a LINk member by 12 noon on Monday 5 January 2009. That is also the closing date for receipt of nominations for election to the Executive Committee. You do not need a proposer or a seconder – you can nominate yourself and fill in the statement in support of the nomination and declaration of interest. Nomination forms and the election procedures can be viewed on November’s meeting agenda page.

If you need any information or assistance completing the nomination form or with voting arrangements, please ring the office on 0208 696 1709.

Please encourage your friends and neighbours to sign up as members of LINk so they can help improve health and social care services in Wandsworth and please encourage them to attend both these public meetings.

NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK
We want to know what you think of the newsletter – what do you want to see in the future? Also we are very open to deciding the main priorities and directions of our work. What should we be looking at first? Tell us what messages you would like us to carry on your behalf to the powers that be. And if you want us to publish something from you in the Newsletter, either email or write to us, or post a comment at the bottom of the newsletter on our website.

We look forward to hearing from you!