§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many representations he has received from members of community health councils supporting their abolition; [24625]
(2) how many representations he has received urging the Government not to abolish community health councils. [24723]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 8 January 2002]: The listening exercise on "Involving Patients and the Public in Health Care" generated a large number of responses from a wide range of sources—including community health councils, members of the public, the voluntary sector, the national health service and local government. We were not consulting on whether CHCs should be abolished—that is our intention and is currently subject to parliamentary scrutiny. We were seeking views on the how the replacement arrangements should work.
The Association of Community Health Councils in England and Wales and the majority of CHCs accept that the system of patient and public involvement in the NHS needs to be modernised and that the new system has many advantages. We continue to work with the Association for 1233W Community Health Councils in England and Wales and other key stakeholders to ensure that what replaces CHCs builds on the best of CHCs and secures improved patient and public involvement in the NHS.