North Wales Assembly Member, Mark Isherwood, has challenged First Minister this week over his Government’s plans to end long standing arrangements set up to place power in the hands of local people to monitor how their NHS services are working.
At the end of last month the Welsh Government published a White Paper that proposed the most radical change to the patient’s voice in the NHS in over 40 years. It outlined plans to introduce for the first time a body with a remit across health and social care.
While Community Health Councils (CHCs) welcome the intention to create a stronger citizen voice in health and social care, they are concerned that the proposals outlined may dilute rather than strengthen this voice in some important areas.
Challenging the First Minister over the proposals in the Assembly Chamber this week, Mr Isherwood said:
“The Vale of Clwyd Trades Union Council, in responding to the 29 June Welsh Government White Paper, ‘Quality and Governance of Health Care in Wales, proposing the abolition of Community Health Councils, said that because of its make-up, the North Wales Community Health Council is the ideal body to be our patients’ voice and watchdog.
How do you respond to that statement and to the response by the North Wales Community Health Council that the proposals would see the end of long-standing arrangements set up to place power in the hands of local people to monitor how their NHS services are working, and, for example, the proposed new citizen voice body would not have legal rights to hold health organisations to account for the way in which they deliver their services?
Well, we’ll examine that response, along with many others, and that will inform the final decision that we take. The fact that something has been in place for many years doesn’t necessarily mean it should continue in the future, but we look forward to the results of the responses that we get through the consultation.