A LINk has been set up in every area of England to help local people influence or change the way their local NHS and social care services are planned and delivered.

By being part of your local LINk you can make your voice heard and improve services.

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

Members of the BME Community in Dudley told LINk that they were unhappy with the language translation service available in GP surgeries. LINk, working jointly with Dudley PCT, decided to carry out a 'mystery shopping' exercise in which members of the community were asked to visit their GPs and complete a questionnaire detailing what they felt about the language interpretation service. The replies showed that there were difficulties, particularly in actually knowing about the service; for example - lack of posters etc.

Following on from this PCT and LINk secured a meeting with Applied Language Solutions (ALS), the company commissioned by the PCT to provide the interpretation service, in order for the community to put their concerns directly to ALS, for example the importance of using the correct dialects, the quality of the interpreters use of the english lanuage etc.

Additionally PCT and LINk recently attended a meeting of Dudley practice managers to make the concerns known to them.



Whilst this exercise remains ongoing there should be an improvement in this service for the benefit of the members of our community.

Anyone living in Dudley borough or using services provided in Dudley borough can be involved in Dudley LINk.



Just by visiting this website and completing the 'Tell us your views' section can help the LINk to use the comments and suggestions that people make to improve health and care services in Dudley.

You can also:

• Get in touch with us on this website so that you are added to our participant database. That way we can keep you up to date with what we are doing, or ask you to complete a LINk survey.
• Join one of our focus groups to contribute to a particular issue that you care about. We currently have groups covering Social Care and Personalisation that you can join in with.
• Become a member of the LINk, be actively involved in our work and attend regular meetings

You can also help LINk by taking part in our 'Local Service Watch' which appears on the homepage. Additionally LINk are regularly out and about in the borough to hear peoples views and issues concerning health and social care.



Remember - it's YOUR LINk!