Local Councils should have scrutiny powers over Health Service - Plaid AM
Local Councils should be given the legal powers to scrutinise NHS Trusts, says Plaid’s Local Government Spokesperson Dr. Dai Lloyd AM.
Dr. Lloyd spoke out as the consultation on the future of Community Health Councils (CHCs) in Wales closed on Friday (April 24th).
Health Minister Edwina Hart is proposing to re-organise the Health Service in Wales by creating 7 CHCs and 23 Area Associations, generally co-terminus with local authority boundaries (apart from Powys which is divided into 2 areas).
Dr. Lloyd stated:
“Local Authorities are already carrying out a key scrutiny function in terms of health partnerships locally via their Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Boards.
“Local Councils are already well placed to act as the patients’ champion in that their membership is directly elected every 4 years. In stark contrast, the current Community Health Councils, while carrying out some good work in some areas, are unelected, and so there is a local democratic deficit.
“Surely, services best reflect the wishes of the local population when those making the decisions can be replaced via the ballot box. I know that Councillors already take up health issues on behalf of their constituents as part of their regular case work and so are in tune with the health issues that face the local population.
“These Area Associations run the risk of creating duplication.”
Dr. Lloyd added:
“Joint working between Councils and NHS Trusts happens on so many levels already. They work together on the new Local Service Boards and work together to create local Health and Well Being Strategies.
“The close working relationship can be seen on other levels too, for example when a patient moves from the acute care sector, say from Morriston Hospital to home.
“Very often, particularly with elderly patients, they will need a social care package from the local authority and so joint working and seamless transition from one sector to the other is vital.
“So much work goes on between the two bodies that it makes sense that the directly elected members of Councils have the opportunity to scrutinise health and social care services in the round to ensure smooth transition through the system.
“I do believe that the proposals with regards to the future of CHCs as they currently stand miss a golden opportunity in terms of trying to plug this local democratic deficit, and also a key opportunity to try and get health and social care working well together.”
