§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has yet completed his consideration of responses to the consultation document "Patients First", when he expects to announce his conclusions; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsI have today published a statement "The Structure and Management of the National Health Service in Wales" which sets out my preliminary conclusions following the consultations on "Patients First".
It reaffirms my intention that responsibility for managing the service should be delegated as close as possible to the point at which patient services are provided by creating a new system of strong health management units at local level. I confirm also that community health councils are to be retained as are the existing arrangements for administering family practitioner services. There has not been general support for the view that it is not necessary for Wales, in its particular circumstances, to suffer the upheaval of breaking up the existing eight area health authorities in order to get the benefits of good management. It is evident, however, that many people have not understood the full implications of the proposal to delegate management 229W authority to health units. I have therefore concluded that before I make final decisions there should be further opportunity for comment in the light of the explanations in the statement and of local consultations about the pattern of health units. I am also inviting further comment on the arrangements at all-Wales level where I propose to set up an advisory Welsh health council comprising representatives of the health authorities, the professions and the Welsh national school of medicine. My intention is that the council should meet in public, thus facilitating public awareness of debates on major health issues. I also propose to promote further co-operative working between health authorities.
I wish to minimise continuing uncertainties, particularly for NHS staff, so I am asking that further comments be submitted to me by 31 December and I would then hope to publish final decisions early in 1981.