- Muzzling the Watchdog.
The self-congratulatory fanfare announcing the launch of the national plan for the NHS has overshadowed real concerns about accountability, raised by the plan's proposed abolition of community health councils
(CHCs).
Established in 1974, CHCs have provided a national network of independent health watchdogs. The plan fragments part of their work across a number of new bodies and gives no indication as to who will perform which of their functions. There are also significant worries about how effective and independent the proposed replacement structures will be. Guardian 13 September 2000
- Getting rid of community health councils (CHCs) as outlined in the NHS plan has proved tougher than ministers might have thought. Guardian Society Wednesday March 21, 2001
- Health and
Social Care Act 2001
- National
Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Bill and explanatory
notes
- A fresh attempt to strengthen patient power in the NHS in England got a
frosty reception yesterday from consumer groups and the Labour chairman of the
Commons health select committee.
John Carvel, social affairs
editor Guardian
Unlimited Tuesday September 4, 2001
Involving Patients and the Public in Healthcare. Department
of Health link to several documents at stages in consultation up to
November 2001 and our
response December 2001.
A
Healthy Outlook - Local Authority Overview and Scrutiny of Health: Audit
Commission Management Paper
The first signs of rebellion over the government's NHS reform bill emerged
today after a senior Labour backbencher called for new community councils to
be created to safeguard NHS patients' rights. Guardian
Society Friday January 11, 2002
Rebels urge rethink on patients' watchdog. Guardian
Society Wednesday January 16, 2002
Patient power deal for NHS. Low-key arrival for 'watershed'
reorganisation. James Meikle, health correspondent Guardian
Monday April 1, 2002
"Defeat this change to the health bill." Guardian
letter supporting Government proposals Thursday April 11, 2002
Peers rebel and back patients' councils. Patrick Wintour Guardian
Wednesday May 1, 2002
The job of ensuring that health care delivery in England is up to scratch
is to be transferred to local authorities. Are they ready for it?
Margaret Kubicek
Wednesday September 4, 2002 The Guardian
The government today appointed former health and social work manager Laura
McMurtrie as its new "patients' champion" for the NHS. Simon Parker
Friday November 15, 2002
The government wants people to shape their own local health services, but
getting the public interested is proving difficult. Margaret Kubicek
Wednesday January 15, 2003 The Guardian
Q&A: patient and public involvement in the NHS. Patrick Butler
explains what the government's new system of patient representation will mean
for service users.
Wednesday January 15, 2003
Harry Cayton carries his onerous responsibilities with admirable
cheerfulness. How would you like to be the key spokesman for the millions of
NHS patients? He must also endure the absurd title that Whitehall imposed:
director of patient experience and public involvement at the Department of
Health. Patients' tsar would have been preferable. Malcolm Dean
Wednesday January 22, 2003 The Guardian
Ministers have been accused of bungling the introduction of a new
patients' rights system for the NHS after they announced that community health
councils would be abolished six months before the new arrangements become
operational. Patrick Butler
Friday January 31, 2003
Q&A: patient and public involvement in the NHS. Patrick Butler
explains what the government's new system of patient representation will mean
for service users.
Friday January 31, 2003
Community health councils (CHCs) in England appear to be heading for
gradual disintegration, despite a government decision last week to postpone
their abolition by three months until December 1. John Carvel
Wednesday June 11, 2003 The Guardian
Preparation for patients' forums in crisis. Critics claim abolition of
Community Health Councils in favour of new system will lead to chaos. Hugh
Muir
Monday October 27, 2003 The Guardian
Forums are in good health. Letters
Wednesday October 29, 2003 The Guardian
Health minister Rosie Winterton today announced £2.25m to help improve
council scrutiny of local health services. Helene Mulholland
Thursday October 30, 2003
A new era of patient involvement in the NHS is heralded by the launch of
patient and public involvement forums (PPIFs) today, amid claims that the new
scheme is a pale imitation of its predecessor.
Monday December 1, 2003
Changes to the NHS complaints system mean Iain is out of a job. No need to
panic - Debbie Andalo has some tips for his next step in patient advocacy.
Wednesday December 17, 2003 The Guardian
Corrections and clarifications. Friday December 19, 2003 The Guardian . We
said that the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux manages "the new
NHS independent complaints advocacy services (Icas)" in a feature headed What
else can I do? (Society, page 40, December 17). This body is neither managed
by CAB nor is it part of the National Health Service but comes under the remit
of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health.
It has been heralded a "quiet revolution". But the volume will be notched
up a little today with the formal launch of a network of more than 570 patient
and public forums across England. David Brindle
Wednesday February 11, 2004
Patient forums were created so that communities could scrutinise local
health services. But Mark Gould finds a lack of resources, accessibility and
awareness .
Wednesday April 21, 2004 The Guardian
Overview and Scrutiny of Health – Guidance. Department of Health |