Staffordshire LINk is working in collaboration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) who are undertaking a 12 month review of Stafford Hospital to determine what progress has been made since the original investigation published in March 2009. CQC would like to hear of people’s experiences, both positive and negative of using Stafford Hospital services from the 1^st January 2010 to 31st March 2010.  This relates to any service whether Inpatient, Outpatient, or Accident and Emergency.   CQC will use the feedback from this survey to decide what they will focus on during their visit to the hospital.  Anyone wanting to give feedback on their experience, can download a survey form here and email it to the LINk at enquiries@staffordshirelink.staffs.com   Alternatively, please telephone the LINk Support Team on 01785 887990 to request a survey form and freepost envelope.

The first Staffordshire LINk Bulletin has now been produced and is available to download from the website here.  The feedback form regarding your views and or/concerns on mental health services referred to in the Bulletin can be downloaded here.  Alternatively, you can click on the comments box below this entry to give your feedback.   If you would prefer a printed copy of the Bulletin, please contact the LINk Support Team on 01785 887990 and they will be able to post a copy to you.

Two free training events are being offered as follows:

1. Introduction to LINks - what’s in it for me? taking place on 15th March 2010 at Stafford Rural Homes training suite situated on Staffordshire Technology Park, Beaconside, Stafford from 10.00am - 4.00pm.

Enter and View authorised visitor training taking place on 14th April 2010 at the Business Innovation Centre, Staffordshire Technology Park, Beaconside, Stafford from 10.00am to 4.00pm.

If you would like to book a place on any of the training sessions listed above or would like to register your interest in future training opportunities, please contact the LINk Support Team on 01785 887990.

The Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Indendent Inquiry Chaired by Robert Francis QC has produced its final report.  To access the press release and report published on 24th February 2010, please click on the weblink below:

http://www.midstaffsinquiry.com/pressrelease.html

Staffordshire LINk is seeking expressions of interest to undertake two short pieces of research to support the LINk to progress two of its identified priority areas - dementia and stroke services.  If you or your organisation are interested in tendering for this work, the tender specifications and further details can be downloaded here dementia tender and here stroke tender.  Please return your proposals by email to jackie.owen@staffordshirelink.staffs.com by Friday 26th February 2010.

Following the consultation event held on 26th January 2010, the feedback from group discussions on the day and views put forward in the market place activities have been typed up and can be downloaded here.

You may be aware that the CQC is currently running a consultation that looks at their proposals for assessing quality in 2010-11 and beyond.  The Care Quality Commission will use many methods and tools to achieve its aim of ‘making care better for people’, including carrying out a programme of assessments of quality.

Their assessments of quality include their powers under the Health and Social Care Act to carry out periodic reviews, special reviews and studies and to publish information and reports about our findings.

For both commissioners and providers they will provide publicly available information for individuals using or choosing care services and for organisations delivering or commissioning those services.

This consultation details how they propose to assess the quality of:

• Councils as commissioners
• PCTs as commissioners
• NHS trusts and PCTs as providers
• Adult social care organisations as providers

It also outlines plans for how we will report our findings and the special reviews we propose to carry out in 2010/11.  For more information about this consultation please follow the link below:

 http://www.cqc.org.uk/getinvolved/consultations/assessmentsofquality.cfm

A work programme for the Support Team is now available to view on the Staffordshire LINk website and will be regularly updated.  If you would like to view the Progress Plan and timeline  document, please click here.

A national PR campaign for LINks was launched on 26th January 2010.  If you would like to know more about the promotional activities being done, information is available in an update attached here.

We would very much like to receive feedback from anyone who attended the Consultation event yesterday so that we can take your views in to consideration when planning future events.  Paper copies are being sent out to everyone who attended but if you would prefer to give your feedback by email, the evaluation form can be downloaded here evaluation-form.  We have also updated the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) sheet with responses to some questions raised at the event and this can be downloaded here.