Written Statement By The Welsh Assembly Government Re: Reform Of Community Health Councils

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 10 Feb 2010 - 1:00 PDT

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I am aware of some recent criticism of the process of consultation I have undertaken on the reform of Community Health Councils in Wales.

There has been extensive consultation on proposals to reform Community Health Councils (CHCs) since January 2009, with ample opportunity for everyone to have their say. It may be that the small number of people who are now being critical of the process are unaware of the substantial and comprehensive level of publicity that these proposals have received over the course of the past year, and so I am of the view that it would be helpful to make this plain.

There have been three formal opportunities for comment and a fourth extended to CHCs themselves. Three consultation documents and sets of draft regulations were issued publicly - in January, June and December last year - and were published on the websites of the Assembly Government, NHS Wales, and those of the CHCs. CHCs also widely disseminated the documents amongst their members, which include local councillors and representatives from the voluntary sector. My officials held a series of engagement events across Wales between January and April last year, which over 500 people attended in total.

I also invited CHCs to submit to me their own proposals for joint working, by the end of July.

I have made two statements on this issue, one in the Chamber of the Senedd as well as a written statement issued to all AMs.

I have gone substantially beyond what is accepted as good practice in consulting on this matter and can clearly demonstrate that the responses from the three consultations and CHC proposals were taken into account and informed the final structure of CHCs in Wales announced last month.

It can therefore be seen that I have provided a wide range of opportunities over a considerable period of time, to those wishing to make comment about the future structure of CHCs in Wales.

Source
Welsh Assembly Government

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