HC Deb 29 November 1994 vol 250 cc585-6W
Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will introduce legislation to allow complaints in the national health service to be monitored by community health councils; and if she will increase the resources of community health councils accordingly.

Mr. Malone

Community health councils already have an important role in supporting individual complainants. In partnership with national health service trusts and/or health authorities they are also able to monitor complaints more generally. The Government do not, therefore, believe that legislation is needed in this area.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will alter the regulations governing community health councils to allow full membership to people over 70 years of age; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Malone

The Community Health Council Regulations 1985, as amended, do not contain any restriction on the age of members of community health councils.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will extend the statutory powers of community health councils and district advisory committees to give them the right to enter(a) nursing and residential homes and (b) general practitioner premises; if she will make it her policy to require home managers and general practitioners to give community health councils information about the services they offer to patients; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Malone

It would not be appropriate to give community health councils power to enter residential care homes, which are already subject to statutory inspection by local authorities. Commissioning health bodies have responsibility for arranging visiting and inspection arrangements for CHCs in the course of negotiating contracts with private nursing homes. CHCs locally have the opportunity to develop constructive working relationships with general practitioners which might include visits to premises.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will introduce legislation to ensure that community health councils(a) are consulted at the earliest possible stage in the process of establishing a new community care trust home and (b) have the right to access to community care trust homes subject to the agreement of residents or their guardians in line with the current statutory rights of access to national health service premises; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Malone

District health authorities have a statutory duty to consult community health councils on any proposals for substantial changes and developments of service. CHCs already have a statutory right to inspect premises controlled by national health service trusts.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will introduce legislation to ensure that community health councils have the right to(a) meet regularly with (i) trust boards, (ii) health authorities and (iii) local and regional offices of the national health service Executive and (b) visit all activities financed or licensed by the national health service; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Malone

Community health councils already have the right to regular meetings with health authorities. It is for national health service commissioning bodies to include visiting and other rights for CHCs in contracts with those who provide services to the national health service. EL94(4), copies of which are available in the Library, makes clear that individual NHS trusts should agree regular liaison arrangements with CHCs. Subject to parliamentary approval of the Health Authorities Bill, responsibility for establishing and supporting CHCs will pass from regional health authorities to the regional offices of the NHS executive from April 1996. The Government do not consider that legislation is needed to supplement these comprehensive arrangements.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to increase public awareness of community health councils; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Malone

The national health service executive is working with the Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales—ACHCEW—on a project for ACHCEW to develop a resource pack for community health councils to use to increase public awareness of their role and activities.