§ Mr. Stottasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will announce her decisions on the proposals contained in the consultation paper "Democracy in the National Health Service".
§ Mrs. CastleThe consultation paper "Democracy in the NHS", which was issued in May 1974, proposed changes in the membership of regional and area health authorities in England to make the health service more responsive to the views of the people it serves, and to enable staff to have a stronger voice on authorities.
I have decided to implement the proposal that one-third of the members of the regional and area health authorities should be drawn from local authorities, and have today laid before both Houses of Parliament the necessary statutory instruments.
We also proposed in the consultative document that two representatives of those working in the NHS, other than 295W doctors and nurses—who are already represented—should be added to these health authorities. Consultations with staff organisations not his matter are not yet complete, but as an earnest of our intentions the statutory instruments which have today been laid provide for the addition of these two representatives.
In the light of representations which have been made I have decided not to implement the proposal that each community health council should nominate two of its members to serve on area health authorities. Instead, community health councils will be entitled to send one of their members to area health authority meetings with the right to speak but not to vote.