The Health and Social Care Bill, currently going through parliament, sets out plans to establish local and national HealthWatch organisations from April 2012 to gather the views of patients and use their feedback to promote better outcomes in health for children and adults, and in social care for adults.
Local HealthWatch organisations will be funded through councils, as part of their public health remit, and will replace existing Local Involvement Networks (Links) in most areas. But professionals are concerned that child health could be treated as an "add-on" in these arrangements.
Sarah Norman, director of children's and adult services in Wolverhampton, told CYP Now that HealthWatch should have responsibility for holding children's social care services to account, as it will do for adults.
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