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.

CIVIC CONTRACT LISTENING EVENTS:

FEBRUARY 7th & FEBRUARY 9th

Westminster City Council has launched a consultation on the running of the city and how public services will be delivered. It’s a chance to have your say on how life in Westminster can be improved and who delivers public services and how.

There will be two public events on the consultation which ends on February 10th.

Tuesday 7th February 2012, 6pm at St Martin’s Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 4JJ
This event will include round table discussions, hosted by Westminster City Council Cabinet Members, to discuss and explore issues set out in the Civic Contract around:

• The role of business in Westminster
• Managing the public realm, including utilities works
• Balancing the competing needs for development with preservation

Thursday 9th February 2012, 6pm in Church Street Library, 67 Church Street, NW8 8EU
This event will include round table discussions, hosted by Westminster City Council Cabinet Members, to discuss and explore issues set out in the Civic Contract around:

• Who should receive priority for social housing
• Opportunities for young people and tackling gangs
• The future of adult care and the role of the community

The consultation period is due to run until 10th February.  See more details here - http://www.westminsterlink.org.uk/current

Exciting free Community Event Happening on March 1st

A free event aimed at Westminster’s many voluntary and community groups will look at how changes to services and local government could affect them.

2012 is going to be another year of major changes for the sector. This event will give an update on what is happening locally and nationally, and what the likely impact will be on Westminster.

Key note speakers include Mike More, Chief Executive, Westminster Council and Kevin Curley, former Chief Executive of NAVCA.

Local HealthWatch delayed until April 2013
The Department of Health has announced that the introduction of HealthWatch, which will replace LINks will be delayed. HealthWatch will be the local consumer champion for patients, service users and the public. The changeover was originally planned for October 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.

Book your place by calling us on 020 7723 1216 or visiting www.vawcvs.org/booking