Kirsty Williams AM

Powys AM's CHC Success

After lobbying the Minister Kirsty Williams AM for Brecon and Radnorshire and Mick Bates AM for Montgomeryshire have welcomed the news that Powys is to retain its 2 separate Community Health Councils (CHCs) under the restructured NHS.

Following consultation, the Minister has today outlined her proposals for the future structure of CHCs in Wales and has decided that seventeen of the existing nineteen CHCs will be dissolved and six new CHCs will be introduced. Powys will not be affected by these proposals and will keep its existing two separate CHCs of Brecknock and Radnor and Montgomeryshire.

Kirsty Williams said: "I am delighted that the Minister has listened to the calls of Mick and I, the local CHCs, health professionals, patients, and communities and is retaining the current structure in Powys.

"The 2 pronged CHC structure provides the distinct and tailored service required by Powys' large geographic area, poor transport network and sparse and aging population. The system works and it works well - there is no need to change it.

"Whilst I welcome the Minister's decision I remain concerned by her chose of the words 'existing CHCs of Brecknock and Radnor and Montgomeryshire will remain for the time being'. I will be watching closely to ensure that the threats to our CHCs do not rear their head again."

Mick Bates, AM for Montgomeryshire said: "I am very pleased that the Minister has recognised the fantastic work of CHCs in representing people in all aspects of the NHS and supplying advice, advocacy and mediation services. Any change to the current system in Powys would be hugely disruptive so it is good news that we will retain both CHCs, but I am concerned about the impact that cutting the total number of CHCs will have on patient representation across the rest of the country."

Notes

Peter Black AM, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Health and Social Services, submitted a formal response to the consultation on behalf of the party, calling for a system of 23 strengthened CHCs; which would allow for the retention of the two CHCs in Powys.

WRITTEN STATEMENT BY THE

WELSH ASSEMBLY GOVERNMENT

Title:

Future structure of Community Health Councils (CHCs) in Wales following Consultation on amendments to the Community Health Councils Regulations 2004 and receipt of proposals from CHCs

Date:

25 November 2009

By:

Edwina Hart, Minister for Health and Social Services

I remain convinced that we need to retain Community Health Councils (CHCs) in Wales to ensure that our new, larger NHS organisations are kept in touch with local communities' views on the health service. I recognise the important role which CHCs perform and I am also aware of the financial problems which they are facing. Consequently, I am making an extra £164,000 available to CHCs this year in order to enable them to perform their functions. Additionally, and as part of the Putting Things Right/NHS Redress project, I intend to make in the region of a further £195,000 available to support and develop the advocacy service which CHCs provide on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government.

Against that background I have also been considering the question of the most appropriate working arrangements for CHCs. Whether the existing CHC structure is fit for purpose in the new look NHS in Wales has been a matter of some debate over recent months and is something upon which I have now consulted twice. I also separately invited and received proposals from CHCs themselves, so there has been ample opportunity for all those involved to have their say.

In order that we can move forward, the time has now come to make a decision that will deliver most benefit to local people, ensure effective partnership working and make best use of available resources. To achieve this, it is my intention to change the existing CHC structure from 1 April 2010.

On 30th January 2009, I launched the first of the public consultations on proposals for the reform of CHCs. The consultation ran to the 24th April and I received 319 written responses in that period. As no consensus on the future structure of CHCs had emerged from the consultation, I wrote to CHCs on 14th May to invite their own proposals for future joint-working arrangements. On 15th June 2009, I issued a second consultation paper dealing with those issues on which broad agreement had been reached in the earlier exercise. By the close on 26th July I had received 15 responses the majority of which supported the proposed amendments.

The proposals from CHCs that I requested in my letter of 14 May arrived by the deadline of 31 July and I will publish those responses on the Welsh Assembly Government's website. However, I was disappointed that the majority of CHCs were unable to reach an agreement and responded to me separately. This widespread lack of consensus gives me cause for concern for future working arrangements, between CHCs themselves and between CHCs and the NHS.

Having considered the situation, it is now my intention to restructure CHCs in Wales in order to ensure more effective partnership working and to bring about maximum benefits for local people. From 1 April 2010, I intend that seventeen of the existing nineteen CHCs will be dissolved and six new CHCs will be created, one in each of the new Local Health Board (LHB) areas and supported by a single, integrated administrative team. These arrangements will not apply in Powys, where the two existing CHCs of Brecknock and Radnor and Montgomeryshire will remain for the time being.

Having listened to the concerns which were expressed about the creation of Area Associations during the first of the public consultations, I intend that each of the new CHCs in turn will have Local Committees, the members of which will be full members of the CHC. Each Local Committee will have twelve members and the boundaries of each Local Committee will be co-terminous with its corresponding Local Authority. It is also my intention that each CHC will have an Executive Committee to take decisions on the exercise of the CHC's functions.

The Board of CHCs in Wales will remain but will be made smaller so that it can work more flexibly. The Director of the Board will be made a full member so that she can participate more fully in decision making.

It is my intention to hold a further, short consultation on these proposals and I will publish consultation documents and draft legislation in due course.