I would like to ask a question of Rosemarie Harris as Leader about the Welsh Government White Paper ‘Services fit for the future’ which outlines changes to the way that quality and governance will be measured and delivered in future. One of the proposals is around ‘co-production’ (another way of saying partnerships) especially between professionals and those people using different services.
An element of this is to find a more co-operative and efficient way of delivering a framework with checks and balances for patients and clients of the two areas of delivery, health and social care.
The proposal of most interest to me as a councillor and member of Powys Community Health Council is to replace existing Community Health Councils with a new ‘independent body’ that will be charged with bringing together inspection/regulation and hearing the citizens voice. Powys Community Health Council is responding independently therefore the Health Board and presumably Powys County Council will have responded too.
My questions:-
Minutes:
I would like to ask a question of Rosemarie Harris as Leader about the Welsh Government White Paper ‘Services fit for the future’ which outlines changes to the way that quality and governance will be measured and delivered in future. One of the proposals is around ‘co-production’ (another way of saying partnerships) especially between professionals and those people using different services.
An element of this is to find a more co-operative and efficient way of delivering a framework with checks and balances for patients and clients of the two areas of delivery, health and social care.
The proposal of most interest to me as a councillor and member of Powys Community Health Council is to replace existing Community Health Councils with a new ‘independent body’ that will be charged with bringing together inspection/regulation and hearing the citizens voice. Powys Community Health Council is responding independently therefore the Health Board and presumably Powys County Council will have responded too.
My questions:-
Answer
1. Adult Social Care responded to the consultation. I will arrange for a copy of the response to be forwarded to Members.
2. The Community Health Council does not in any way deal with Social Care. They are the NHS Watchdog from the patient/citizen perspective. Also, the role of the Leader of the County Council is to lead on Local Authority issues. It would be unusual for the Leader to answer questions on a position held outside of the Council and in previous years.
On this occasion, I will answer.
In reality, the CHC should be a very important link between the NHS, those who regulate them and the voice of those who use the NHS.
Firstly, can I say that I have always firmly believed that there is a need for an organisation like the CHC as a watchdog body of the NHS on behalf of the patient/citizen.
There is no other organisation which has a voice on behalf of the patient. I actually believe that, far from abolishing CHCs, their role should be strengthened. They are statutory bodies and that strength, under statute, has already been removed in England – detrimentally so in my opinion.
Currently CHCs are allowed to visit GP surgeries, hospitals, ambulance stations and anywhere that NHS services are provided. Often joint inspections are done with HIW with one organisation inspecting clinical provision and the other inspecting from the patient perspective. CHCs have never been allowed to inspect/visit any establishments where social care only is provided. It has always been felt by Powys CHC and indeed the Board of Wales CHCs that both should be treated in the same way, especially as there is no patient voice for Social Care.
In the future, I would like to see the role of CHCs strengthened to include Social Care.
I also believe, probably controversially, that CHC members should be paid a small amount. At the moment, members are volunteers and it can be a very busy programme, especially for Powys members because secondary health care is commissioned for the residents from so many DGHs outside our boundaries. I think if members were paid a small amount, it would attract and enable greater diversity amongst the membership and so strengthen the organisation.
As all acute secondary care for our residents is commissioned from elsewhere, (a large percentage from England) there is often a need to support as well as challenge Powys LHB.
In summary, I think there is a need for a strengthened organisation to inspect/visit all NHS bodies/Social Care provision from the patient perspective.
Councillor Charlton’s supplementary question was how the integration of social care and health would be monitored from the perspective of the patient and the Portfolio Holder for Adult Services explained that the Regional Partnership Boards which included service users and citizen representatives would have responsibility for monitoring integration.
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