Clause 13 - Patients Forums: Supplementary
Health and Social Care Bill
7:00 pm
Mr John Denham (Minister of State, Department of Health; Southampton, Itchen, Labour)
It is probably best if I set out our intentions as succinctly as I can.
It is an interesting point whether we should have downgraded the regulations to guidance in some areas, but we have sought to reassure hon. Members as effectively as we can that the establishment of patients forums will be independent. Regulations, which can be discussed, seem to us to be the best way of doing that. Therefore, they would include the funding of patients forums and the provision of premises, other facilities and staff. I am not sure whether I want to draw the distinction that the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge requested, but at least he will be reassured that those matters will be dealt with by regulation.
The issue of how patients forums will be funded and staffed will obviously be important. We have clearly said that patients forums will be managerially and financially independent of the trust or primary care trust to which they relate. The funds for patients forums will be provided by the regional office of the NHS Executive, as was the case with CHCs. As with the CHC, the patients forum, an unincorporated body, will need a host for its funds and accounts. That role could be taken on by the health authority, as happens with CHCs, but as I said earlier we are considering allowing local authorities to take on that role. There are strong arguments in favour of patients forums coming together locally to share support and expert staff. Similarly, the local authority could be the employer, as the health authority is the employer for CHC staff. More work needs to be done on exploring the options, but that is one possibility.
We intend that members of the patients forum will receive expenses to cover travel and subsistence and loss of earnings. That is in line with members of CHCs. Of course, the patient-nominated non-executive director will receive remuneration. It is right that we set out those matters in regulations. Regulations are needed at least to allow the NHS appointments commission to appoint members of the patients forum.