§ Baroness Jegerasked Her Majesty's Government:
Which unions and professional bodies involved in the NHS were consulted in connection with the Griffiths Report on NHS Management; and what responses were received.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Lord Glenarthur)The NHS Management Inquiry Team, led by Mr Roy Griffiths, were not required to carry out any form of formal consultation, either in the course of their inquiries into NHS management or on the advice which they gave to my right honourable friend. They were asked for advice, from the point of view of their considerable business experience, on the management of the NHS.
However, the team did meet, and receive evidence from, a wide variety of professional and staff bodies in the NHS, including representatives of the trade unions. Mr Griffiths and his colleagues have not included the names of these bodies in their advice, but they do say that they found no significant or serious objection anywhere in the line of inquiry they were pursuing, and indeed gained general support for their developing ideas.