Clause 13 - Patients Forums: Supplementary
Health and Social Care Bill
7:00 pm
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton and Cheam, Liberal Democrat)
The amendments in my name and in that of my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight are intended to explore the extent to which regulation-making powers are needed and whether it would be more appropriate for the Secretary of State to have powers to issue guidance. The amendments seek to rejig the clause, so that matters that are set become matters that are dealt with solely through guidance. They include appointment of members, qualification, disqualification of membership. However, the Secretary of State should issue regulations on funding, the provision of information to a patients forum, pay and rations.
We tabled the amendments originally because we saw them fitting in with the group of amendments that my hon. Friend tabled earlier, which would have seen the establishment of patients forums as a duty of local authorities. It is in that context that the amendments fit best. They do not fit so well in a regime that sees them as separate entities. We strongly believe that patients forums should be established on a basis that enables them to look at patients' interests and to advocate those interests locally. The patient's experience of the NHS, which is not trust based, but follows a path of care through several trusts, can thus be better taken into account.
The amendments aim to separate the matters on which local authorities should be given guidance from those matters on which local authorities should be given clear regulations. We believe that they offer a much better way of putting patients forums on a firm footing.