The NHS Centre for Involvement (which currently supports the LINks Exchange of behalf of the Department of Health) is due to close at the end of August. LINks Exchange is a network which exists to support those who are implementing LINks. NHS Choices, which provides a comprehensive information service on health and social care in England, will take over the running of LINks Exchange.

In the short-term the LINks exchange will continue to offer all the same services as before and there will only be minor changes to the site in terms of design and content. The site address www.lx.nhs.uk will remain the same. In the longer term, NHS Choices will be discussing with LINks how they would like things to evolve.

According to the Department, the LINks Exchange is likely to become a sub-site of NHS Choices but this will not happen until they have talked to LINks about their needs.

NHS Choices has been chosen to support the LINks Exchange because it already provides information to the public on how they can help shape services and it has extensive experience of supporting online communities. With 7 million users, It is hoped that NHS Choices will also help to raise the profile of LINks.