The wheels are in motion for the creation of a Herefordshire health watchdog with a big job to do.
Changes in government legislation mean an end to the current Public and Patient Involvement Forums (PPIF), with them being replaced by one county-wide Local Involvement Network (LINk) that will, for the first time, be responsible not only for health but also social care issues.
It will involve a wide range of Herefordians whose voices are seldom heard - like busy workers, children, people with disabilities, remote rural dwellers and ethnic minorities - to make sure they have their say in how services are run.
The new body, to be launched early next year, will have powers to ensure public and patients' views are taken seriously. The LINk will be able to enter premises and assess services, collect views of service users and expect responses when requests for information are made to committees and organisations.
Under the new legislation, Herefordshire Council is tasked with identifying a host which will in turn recruit members of the Herefordshire LINk.
"Working in partnership with colleagues in the Primary Care Trust (PCT), we're beginning to advertise for an appropriate host group which will then promote Herefordshire LINk and begin recruiting," said Sara Siloko, health services officer at Herefordshire Council. "With the Public Service Trust coming on stream soon, it's a good time to be bringing the public voice of health and social care closer together too."
Cllr Olwyn Barnett, cabinet member for adult social care and health, said: "The establishment of Herefordshire LINk is a major step change in the accountability of those who provide health and social care services in the county.
"Through LINks, a wide range of local people and communities will have the power to influence what level and quality of health and social care services are provided and also how they are run.
"They will have the authority to gather issues of local concern and refer these on to scrutiny committees," added Cllr Barnett.