Derek Conway (Old Bexley & Sidcup, Conservative)

With this it will be convenient to take new clause 2—Duty to establish and maintain service user panel—

‘It shall be the duty of the Commission to establish and maintain an advisory panel to be known as “the service user panel”.

(5) The service user panel shall be comprised of such members as appear to the Commission to represent the views and interests of patients, service users and the public.

(6) The service user panel shall have such functions as determined by the Commission.

(7) The functions of the service user panel as determined under subsection (2) must include contributing to and advising the Commission upon:

(a) the annual plans of the Commission for inspections, reviews and special reviews, and inquiries,

(b) guidance on compliance with registration requirements,

(c) indicators to measure the compliance of registered organisations with the registration requirements,

(d) methodologies for performance measurement, and

(e) methodologies for inspection.

(8) The Commission may request the service user panel to help it to ascertain, from time to time, the opinions and level of satisfaction of patients, service users and the public with regard to the activities to which the Commission’s functions relate.

(9) The service user panel may establish and maintain such arrangements for consultation with patients and members of the public as agreed with the Commission as relevant and appropriate to the carrying out of the functions conferred on it by the Commission.’.

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