§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to extend the life of community health councils in advance of the transition to the new structure. [135634]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonCommunity health councils (CHCs) will be abolished on 1 December. We do not support any further delay in the abolition. We believe such a move would place remaining staff under great strain, give rise to widespread logistical problems and cause confusion among patients and the public.
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§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures he has put in place(a) for the employment of community health council officers and staff in the new complaint and consultation structure and (b) to ensure that community health council (i) records, (ii) skills and (iii) experience are not lost to their local communities. [135635]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonA human resources framework for community health council (CHC) staff, agreed with the relevant trades unions, was issued in June 2003. The framework included arrangements for those CHC staff who wished to leave early to take up posts in organisations providing independent complaints advocacy services, local network providers to patients' forums, overview and scrutiny committees (OSCs) and other posts in the national health service dedicated to patient and public involvement. The framework also made provision for clearing houses, training opportunities and helplines to assist CHC staff find alternative employment in the NHS. Guidance on the retention and disposal arrangements for CHC records was also issued in June 2003. The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health continues to work with CHCs to consider the best ways to transfer valuable local knowledge to patients' forums to help them build local capacity. CHCs have for some time been working with patient advice and liaison services and OSCs, including sharing experiences and local knowledge, so that those organisations are able to carry out their new responsibilities as effectively as possible.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that new organisations handling complaints and patient issues in place of community health councils should establish(a) local offices and (b) drop-in advice services. [135636]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe independent complaints advocacy service, that supports people if they want to make a complaint against the national health service, provides a service across the whole of England from a mixture of regional and local offices. It is not a general drop-in advice service.
Patient advice and liaison services, providing on-the-spot help and advice to patients, their families and carers, exist in almost all NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) and do provide a drop-in advice service.
Patients' forums, providing new opportunities to get involved in health services, are being set up for every NHS trust and PCT and will operate locally. Providing a drop-in advice service is a function of PCT patients' forums.
§ Mr. RosindellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines are in place to ensure that patients' interests are safeguarded during the period leading up to the abolition of community health councils. [136461]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe majority of community health councils (CHCs) will continue to operate to ensure that patients' interests are safeguarded up to the abolition date. Each CHC has an exit strategy based on national and local guidelines. The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health continues to work with CHCs to consider the best ways to transfer valuable local knowledge to patients' forums to help 849W them build local capacity. CHCs have also been liaising with organisations providing independent complaints advocacy services and have for some time been working with patient advice and liaison services and overview and scrutiny committees, sharing experiences and local knowledge to enable those organisations to pick up their new powers and responsibilities.