Clause 43 - Information and advice
Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill
10:00 am
Mr David Lammy (Parliamentary Secretary, Department of Health; Tottenham, Labour)
Amendments Nos. 510 and 511 will place a duty on CHAI to make regular reports available to the public on the provision of health care by and for NHS bodies, and on a par with what it also provides to the appropriate authorities. The function set out in the Bill is necessary to ensure that the appropriate authorities are kept informed on the provision of health care for which they are responsible. As a way of demonstrating its increased independence, the Secretary of State will not have the regulation-making power that he has over CHI on the publication of reports.
Such a power enabled my right hon. Friend to specify the means and manner in which the old CHI disseminated its findings to the NHS and to the general public. I cannot accept this amendment, as it would, in effect, compel the new CHAI to do that. The
public rightly expect the new CHAI to be an authoritative, independent judge of quality and efficiency and to be a driving force for the continuous improvement of health care provided by all NHS bodies.
It is already obvious that the new CHAI will want to keep patients and the public informed of developments in the NHS and in independent health care provision. I am confident that CHAI will have patients and the public at the forefront of its considerations and that it will operate as openly as possible. CHAI will have ample opportunity to ensure that the public are informed about the provision of health care, and it is not necessary to state that explicitly in the Bill. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will withdraw his amendment.