Clause 18 - Supplementary

Part of NHS Reform & Health Care Professions Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 4:00 pm on 6 December 2001.

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Photo of Richard Taylor Richard Taylor Independent, Wyre Forest 4:00, 6 December 2001

I have three quick points and questions about membership of the forums. I was very pleased to hear the Under-Secretary say this morning that there will be arrangements for CHC members to be considered for membership of the forums. Under the proposed implementation programme—if all goes through—CHCs will not actually be abolished until April 2003. There will be some members of CHCs whose appointments come to an end between now and then, and it will scarcely be sensible to appoint new people. Can there be some mechanism whereby, if they wish, people can extent their appointments until April 2003?

The Under-Secretary said yesterday that she thought that about half of the people on forums will be representatives of voluntary bodies and that half will represent patients and carers. That was much more encouraging than the phrase ''at least one'' in the Bill. Can she add some detail about the size that she envisages for patients forums?

Finally, one reason why I object to the changes is the plethora of new bodies with which we will be faced. There are at least three commissions; I am not sure whether I am confused, or whether the people who have written the response to the listening exercise are confused. On page 5 of that response, the seventh bullet point of paragraph 2.6 says that

''the NHS Appointments Commission...will be charged with making the appointments to Patients' Forums.''

However, page 11, paragraph 3.26 states:

''The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health will conduct the appointments process.''

Which commission will actually make the appointments?