a chance to influence your local health and care services. Anyone can get involved, and it has been set up to make sure that people in your area get the health and social services they need.

LINks are made up of individuals and community groups who work together to improve local services. The job of a LINk is to find out what people like and dislike about local services and work with the people who plan and run them to help make them better. This may involve talking directly to health care professionals about a service that is not being offered or suggesting ways that an existing service could be made better. LINks also have legal powers to help with the tasks and to make sure changes happen.

Your views on health and wellbeing

Read papers for the next Health and Wellbeing Operational Group meeting, and share your views with Chief Executive of Westminster LINk’s host Bernard Collier.

Many local voluntary and community groups are interested and want to know about the new structures around health and wellbeing – what is going on and how they might influence its work.

In an attempt to open up a window on what is going on in these meetings, and also to give you the opportunity to influence the work of Voluntary Action Westminster, I intend to start publishing the papers for meetings I attend, whilst inviting you to let me know what you think Voluntary Action Westminster should be saying about issues.

Keep in touch on Twitter

I will tweet people to let you know when another item has gone up so do stay in touch by following me on twitter.  Or of course, you're welcome to contact me via email at bcollier@vawcvs.org

Papers for the Health and Wellbeing Operational Group

These papers are for the Westminster Health and Wellbeing Operational Group which sits beneath the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Health and Wellbeing Business Group.

Although there is interest in all the items I would steer you towards:

The paper on commissioning intentions

Health and wellbeing strategy paper

The "Civic Contract" paper

None of it is light reading all of it could have profound effects on the lives of people in Westminster so do let me know your views, so that they can be fed into the process.

Papers for the Health and Wellbeing Operational Group can be read here; http://www.vawcvs.org/downloads/health-wellbeing-group-meeting-papers-january-2012pdf

New Years’ quitters encouraged to seek NHS stop smoking support

Westminster residents wanting to quit smoking in the new year are encouraged to seek support from their local NHS Stop Smoking Service.

Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (CLCH) runs the NHS Stop Smoking Service in Westminster, and offers a wide range of support for those that have made the resolution to quit in the new year. Specialist advisors offer one-to-one, group and telephone support, along with effective medications available on prescription or from a trained stop smoking pharmacist.

Ivan Okyere-Boakye, CLCH Senior Manager for Health and Wellbeing, said; “The New Year presents a good opportunity for smokers looking to quit, with many using it as a time to set goals and resolutions for the year ahead. There are a number of strong reasons to quit smoking, including improving health and saving money. Whatever your reason, we are here to help, with a tailored package of support to suit each person.”

Accessing NHS Stop Smoking services can give smokers the extra boost they need, as those that use NHS support are four times more likely to succeed in quitting than those that try to do it on their own.

Free NHS stop smoking support is offered in a wide range of settings across Westminster, including pharmacies, GPs and clinics. The service is running a number of events in January, giving members of the public the opportunity to discuss with Specialist Stop Smoking Advisors their smoking habits; do carbon monoxide assessment and get information about the different support available locally. The service also works closely with voluntary sector organisations to provide targeted support to BME and hard-to-reach communities.

Information about the service and support available to help people stop smoking will be sent to residents in the most deprived wards in the borough at the beginning of January, and further awareness raising events are being planned to support the national No Smoking Day on 14 March 2012.

The health benefits of quitting smoking include:

• Reducing the risk of developing certain illnesses, disability or death caused by cancer, heart or lung disease.
• Reducing the risk of gangrene or amputation caused by circulatory problems.
• Protecting the health of others around by not exposing them to second-hand smoke.
• Saving money - as much as several hundred pounds a month for those who are heavy smokers.

For more information and to book an appointment, please call the telephone number below:

Residents of Westminster
Call: 0800 328 8537

Local HealthWatch delayed until April 2013
The Department of Health has announced that the intoroduction of HealthWatch, which will replace LINKs will be delayed. HeathWatch will be the  local consumer champion for patients, service users and the public. The changeover was originally planned for Ocotber 2012 but will now happen in April 2013. Read more here.

Free health events at Church Street library
There will be a series of free events at Church Street library in the next month. They'll cover quitting smoking, diet exercise and dealing with stress. More details here!

GP Performance data published for first time
Patients in London can access new information about their GP, including screening rates and patient satisfaction for the first time, as London launches the www.myhealth.london.nhs.uk website.

Patients will be able to find out how their practice performs against standards like childhood immunisations and cervical screening as well as how they compare with other GP practices in London.