Health White paper - CfPS press statement

Last updated:13 July 2010

PRESS STATEMENT
12 June 2010

The Centre for Public Scrutiny welcomes proposals in the Health White Paper to give local authorities the role of joining up the commissioning of local NHS services, social care and health improvement.

In response to the NHS White Paper, Equity and excellence: liberating the NHS, the Centre for Public Scrutiny welcomes the commitment to consult fully on the new arrangements which place locally elected councillors at the heart of securing well planned and co-ordinated services for people in their areas.  

Commenting on the proposals to reform local accountability in the NHS announced in the Health White Paper, Jessica Crowe, Executive Director, CfPS says:

"We regret the loss of health overview and scrutiny committees’ statutory powers in respect of service changes and reconfigurations in the NHS. We believe that there is significant evidence of HOSCs having made a difference through championing patients’ and the public’s interests while working constructively with NHS providers and commissioners to challenge and discuss their proposals in a public forum.

However, with the transfer of commissioning powers to GP consortia and public health services to councils, it is clear that the role of health scrutiny would need to change to match these changes in decision-making. We strongly urge GPs, local councils and the partnership arrangements that will be responsible for commissioning health services to ensure they are clearly and publicly accountable for the decisions that they make.

We believe that all those responsible for commissioning or providing services should be accountable to the communities that they serve and should set out how they intend to meet that responsibility so that it is clear and transparent for the public as both taxpayers and service users. Our recent publication Accountability Works! highlighted that there are many different kinds of accountability – through the ballot box, media, markets and consumer choice, complaints and redress, regulation and public scrutiny mechanisms”.

Tim Gilling, CfPS Deputy Executive Director, who has managed a major programme to support effective health scrutiny, added:
“We believe that scrutiny by locally elected and accountable councillors has a continuing and important role to play as part of this web of accountability for local health services, working with Local HealthWatch, whose enhanced role as patient and public scrutineers we welcome. We will be seeking to ensure that the best aspects and experience of the statutory health scrutiny role are built into the new accountability arrangements." 
 
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For more information call Dushana Nathan on 020 7187 7363.

Notes to Editors

1. For more info on our proposals for accountable health and social care and health improvement, please review our attached submission: NHS - Transparent, Inclusive and Accountable.
    
2. The Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS) helps those working across the public sector look at the effectiveness of public services.  We promote the value of accountability and scrutiny, not only to hold executives to account but also to create a constructive dialogue between the public and its elected representatives to improve the quality of public services.
   
   The Centre supports scrutineers by sharing research and analysis of current and developing best practice through publications, seminars, consultancy and events.  We also create online networks and forums for those with an interest in accountability and scrutiny.
    
3. CfPS is the national leader for guidance, advice and support for councils, the NHS and other stakeholders about accountable healthcare, social care and health improvement.

‘Accountability Works!’ can be found at: Accountability Works!  This document is part of a CfPS national campaign to push the debate on accountability.