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# Resources - Ask questions and be consulted on local NHS changes
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/resources-ask-questions-and-be-consulted-on-local-nhs-changes/
- Published: 2013-12-10T09:12:14.000Z
- Updated: 2026-04-23T00:12:28.000Z
- Description: There are both existing and old routes to ensuring you are informed, consulted and engaged about local NHS changes - and some routes are better than others. Part of the OurNHS Resource Guide.
- Author: OurNHS
- Tags: Resources , #Migrated, #en, #Import 2026-04-09 16:46, #appended-excerpt

Contact your Council scrutiny committees & Health & Wellbeing Boards - see this Keep Our NHS Public [Guide](http://www.keepournhspublic.com/pdf/HealthandWellbeingBoardsKONPbriefing.pdf?ref=opendemocracy.net) (2013) to these bodies, which do have some powers of democratic oversight by local councillors.

Ask your own councillors to ask questions too - some [suggested questions](http://www.keepournhspublic.com/pdf/KONPbriefingforcouncillors.pdf?ref=opendemocracy.net) prepared by Keep Our NHS Public. Find your borough or county councillors [here](https://www.writetothem.com/?ref=opendemocracy.net).

Know your consultation rights - rights of the general public to be consulted are weak, but they still exist. This [guide](http://www.keepournhspublic.com/pdf/PublicConsultation.pdf?ref=opendemocracy.net) for Keep Our NHS Public, written in 2012, needs some updating but the broad principles still apply and will help you demand your rights as a member of the public.

[Defend](https://www.opendemocracy.net/freeform-tags/hospital-closure-clause) your consultation rights especially when hospitals are under threat of closure - the Hospital Closure Clause threatens these rights.

[Consider](http://www.patients4nhs.org.uk/example-of-how-one-ppg-group-works/?ref=opendemocracy.net) using your GP’s ‘patient participation group’ (if they have one) to get information and perhaps organise at a very local level.

Consider getting involved at local level in the other, new (not terribly democratic or powerful) structures like Healthwatch - the last 2 pages of the [‘Unite guide to privatisation of the NHS England’](http://www.unitetheunion.org/uploaded/documents/GuideToNHSPrivatisation11-10734.pdf?ref=opendemocracy.net) has a good overview of the options.

[Understand](http://www.sochealth.co.uk/2013/04/06/patient-voice/?ref=opendemocracy.net) how ‘patient involvement’ structures have been progressively weakened. A thorough history of patient involvement (though the last paragraph seems very optimistic) by the Director of the Socialist Health Association.

[Understand](http://www.healthwatch.co.uk/sites/default/files/understanding%5Flocal%5Fhealthwatch%5Fregulations%5F0.pdf?ref=opendemocracy.net) how far new local Healthwatch organisations can actually campaign. Officials may steer you to them. They are essentially bound by charities law.

Lobby your MP and other influencers - the [TUC guide](http://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/tucfiles/nhs%5Fcampaign%5Fguide%5F2013.pdf?ref=opendemocracy.net) and the [NHS Support Federation guide](http://www.nhscampaign.org/get-involved-2/campaign-tools/new%5Fcampaign%5Fguide/fed%5Fcampaign%5Fguide.html?ref=opendemocracy.net) both have lots of tips - (the latter is out of date in terms of NHS structures but is good on the detail of how to lobby people). The NHS Support Federation has also produced this [guide ](http://issuu.com/nhs%5Fsupporters/docs/critical%5Fmarginals?ref=opendemocracy.net)to the state of the NHS in key Tory marginal seats.

See [here](https://www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/caroline-molloy-louise-irvine/stop-hospital-closure-clause) for an OurNHS guide to writing to your MP on the hospital closure clause, and links to other campaign resources from KONP, Save Lewisham Hospital and 38 Degrees.

[Tweet](http://tweetminster.co.uk/mps?ref=opendemocracy.net) your MP using this handy tool.

***Find this useful? Please donate to OurNHS*** [**here** ](https://www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/donate)***to help keep us going - we rely on reader donations for our work.***

There are both existing and old routes to ensuring you are informed, consulted and engaged about local NHS changes - and some routes are better than others. Part of the [OurNHS Resource Guide.](https://www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/ournhs/brand-new-ournhs-guide-to-nhs-campaign-resources)