§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will provide increased resources to enable CHCs to fulfil their role in representing public opinion and monitoring the NHS.
§ Dr. MawhinneyIt is for regions, as establishing authorities for community health councils, to ensure that they are properly resourced. The national health service management executive wrote to regions last year reminding them of this obligation.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will introduce legislation to ensure that all regional health authorities make all parts of community health council premises used by either members of the public or council members accessible to people with disabilities, with additional funding to complete such works or increased rental for alternative premises being provided in addition to the annual budget of the community health council; and if she will make a statement.
§ Dr. MawhinneyNo. It is for individual regional health authorities to provide community health councils with suitable accommodation.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will introduce legislation for new statutory duties for community health councils giving them comprehensive monitoring rights over all services provided for NHS patients and rights of consultation and access to(a) district health authority units, (b) NHS trusts, (c) family health services authority services including general practitioner fund holders and (d) situations where health
626W
Midwives by nature of contract, England—September 1991 (whole-time equivalent) Total Full-time Part-time Bank ENGLAND 19,640 13,660 5,980 240 Northern 1,310 910 400 0 Yorkshire 1,620 1,210 410 0 Trent 1,880 1,390 490 20 East Anglian 780 610 180 20 North West Thames 1,130 880 250 0 North East Thames 1,600 1,280 310 10 South East Thames 1,310 990 320 30 South West Thames 1,040 780 260 10 Wessex 1,140 790 350 30 Oxford 1,030 730 300 50 South Western 1,180 10 1,180 10 and nursing care are provided within the (i) voluntary, (ii) independent and (iii) private sectors; and if she will make a statement;
(2) if she will introduce legislation to give powers to community health councils to inspect residential and nursing homes; and if she will make a statement.
§ Dr. MawhinneyWe have no plans to introduce legislation to give community health councils new statutory duties or powers.
Under current legislation, CHCs play a valuable role in helping to monitor services to national health service patients. Recent guidance in relation to monitoring of the patients charter has repeated the importance of this role.
CHCs have statutory rights of access to NHS premises. They must also be consulted by health authorities about proposals for any substantial variations in service. Where services to NHS patients are provided by the independent sector, purchasers can make clear in the contracts concerned the CHC's role in monitoring services.
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department issues to regional health authorities regarding the time scale for setting budgets for community health councils; and if she will make a statement.
§ Dr. MawhinneyNone.