Under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 Local Involvement Networks (LINks) such as Coventry LINk will become Local Healthwatch organisations from April 2013.

Healthwatch Coventry has now been launched . Go to Healthwatch Coventry website

Local Healthwatch will:

1. Help shape the planning and delivery of local health and social care services - a continuation of LINk’s current role with the extra role of having a seat ont he new Health and Wellbeing Board in Coventry
2. Provide signposting information to help people make choices about health and care services
3. Signpost to or provide an advocacy service for people making a complaint using the NHS complaints process.

Go to Department of Health's policy paper on Healthwatch on the Department of Health website

Healthwatch pathfinder

As part of local pathfinder work on Healthwatch Coventry LINk ran focus groups and discussoins to gather peopels' views of what they wanted from Healthwatch in Coventry. Go to our report of the findings

Healthwatch England

Healthwatch England is an independent arm of the Care Quality Commission. Healthwatch England will be able to advise the Secretary of State for Health, the NHS Commissioning Board, English local authorities and Monitor as well as the CQC about concerns raised by local Healthwatch and will  be able to request that the CQC carries out an investigation if it has evidence of poorly performing services.

Go to Healthwatch England website