Welcome to HAPIA ...
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NALM (National Association of LINks Members) has transformed into HAPIA (Healthwatch and Public Involvement Association) and welcomes membership from Healthwatch (LHW), its members and volunteers, and all who support the development of a powerful public voice in all health, social care and public health services.
HAPIA, the ‘Healthwatch and Public Involvement Association’, is launched today to continue the national campaign to build independent, powerful, community led organisations, that actively inspect, influence and challenge health, social care and public health services, to provide safe, effective and accessible care.
At the heart of HAPIA’s work, will be support for many of the recommendations of the Mid Staffs Inquiry, including the regulation of healthcare assistants, reform of the complaints system and the duty to tell patients the truth when errors have been made. HAPIA will campaign for health and social care services that are genuinely accountable to the public, and oppose chaotic reorganisations and tendering processes jeopardising the safety of services.
HAPIA welcomes membership from Local Healthwatch, its members and volunteers and from all people and organisations who share our aims.
HAPIA will:
- Challenge Ministers and Regulators when lapses and failures occur.
- Support the development of systems, which enable users and carers to collaborate, criticise, comment, influence, challenge and advise health, social care and public health services on the best forms of care
- Advise on effective ways of learning from complaints, incidents, accidents and inquests.
Malcolm Alexander, HAPIA South
'The public involvement movement has become too passive and processed. It is time for every care home, hospital and community health service to be held to account by Local Healthwatch and the local community for the safety, effectiveness and accessibility of their services. The voice of the public must be heard and people released from the fear that many experience when services fail or cause harm. That is the way of ensuring that the disasters of Mid Staff and Winterbourne View never happen again.'
Ruth Marsden, HAPIA North
'I would love to be out of a job, for that would mean that everyone had the best of care. Despite legislation, rhetoric and re-organisation, we are no nearer achieving that ‘best care’ for all. Centrally appointed bodies are always accountable to the centre, not to the public. This cannot go unchallenged.'