Patient and Public Involvement Forums

HL Deb 19 November 2003 vol 654 c336WA

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement decided to change the name of patients' forums. [HL5384]

Lord Warner

The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health announced at its first board meeting on 24 March 2003, that patients' forums would be known as patient and public involvement forums to help the public to understand what their role is.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

asked Her Majesty's Government:

By what statutory authority the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement changed the name of patients'forums. [HL5385]

Lord Warner

The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health decided to rebrand patients' forums as patient and public involvement forums to help the public to understand their roles. There is no statutory bar to it doing this.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How they will ensure the independence of individual patients' forums. [HL5386]

Lord Warner

Legislation establishes patients' forums as organisations that are independent of the National Health Service, government and the organisations that support them. The membership of patients' forums that will consist primarily of local patients will ensure that patients' forums act independently.