Clause 1 - English Health Authorities: change of name
NHS Reform and Health Care Professions Bill
4:30 pm
Mr John Baron (Billericay, Conservative)
Will the Minister consider another issue concerning the boundaries of strategic health authorities pertaining to existing clinical networks? The Government have stated that SHAs would be coterminous with an aggregate of local authorities and that the boundaries would not cut across Government office boundaries. That is fine, but existing clinical networks do not always align with local or central government boundaries. Securing delivery of health care must be the overriding determining factor when resolving difficulties, so consideration must be given to the role of the clinical networks. I hope that the Minister will forgive me if I refer to the BMA again, but it suggested that an appropriate solution might be to manage any lack of coterminosity at the new regional director of health and social care level instead of with the 28 SHAs to ensure that such decisions are taken at the appropriate strategic level. That would give weight to existing clinical network boundaries instead of historical administrative boundaries, which are largely based on geographical features. Will the Minister consider that point, because existing clinical networks are important to the overall functioning of health services at local level?