Clause 17 - Annual Reports
NHS Reform & Health Care Professions Bill
2:45 pm
Ms Hazel Blears (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (public health), Department of Health; Salford, Labour)
Perhaps I can reassure the hon. Gentleman. We envisage that patients forums' reports will be widely available in the community, and that they will publish them themselves in addition to sending them to the Secretary of State. The regulations under clause 18(2) will provide for the publication of patients forums' reports:
''the preparation and publication of reports by Patients' Forums (including the publication of reports under''
clause 17. There is a provision to ensure that that information is in the public domain. It would otherwise be of limited use because it is obviously the type of information that people would want to consider and act upon. There is currently no provision in the community health council regulations for reports to go specifically to Members of Parliament, but we know that they do because we receive them regularly. The amendment is therefore superfluous, but its spirit will be acknowledged and acted upon.