Clause 2 - Notice of patient's possible need
Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Bill
11:30 am
Mr John Baron (Billericay, Conservative)
I, too, welcome you to the chair, Mr. McWilliam, and look forward to serving under your chairmanship.
One of the Conservative party's main concerns is that the Bill threatens the co-operation and partnership that exists between NHS bodies and social services in many parts of the country. The stated aim of clauses 2 and 3 is to secure better communication between the NHS and local authorities with social services responsibilities, but I fear that that will not be the result.
Recently there has been good progress in forging co-operation and partnerships between the NHS and local government. That was clearly seen in the successful teamwork in alleviating winter pressures. As presently worded, the Bill threatens that co-operation. That is not simply due to the fines—although that is the major bone of contention—but because the Bill appears to be one-sided, in that the NHS bodies alone are in the driving seat on many of the major decisions, particularly those relating to patients being moved on from hospitals.