Governemnt is abandoning commitments on new patients' organisations - Burstow

2.00.00pm GMT Fri 14th Feb 2003

Local MP Paul Burstow, has criticised the Government for failing to deliver on its plans for the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health.

Commenting Paul Burstow said:

"The Government appear to be ripping up the hard-won undertakings made during legislative debate on this subject."

"The work requirements which Ministers have set in the regulations would undermine the new Commission's independence.

"Contracting out the staffing of patients' forums to voluntary organisations risks creating unevenness across the system. It may well make the voluntary organisations less willing to be critical of the Government. That makes no sense when the role of patients' forums will sometimes be to make themselves unpopular with Ministers."

"The Government has also failed to retain the experience of existing Community Health Council staff. They are being manipulated out of the system.

"The Government must go back to the commitments it made and ensure that they are honoured. It must also get on with establishing the new bodies. If there is a vacuum on 1st September, patients will lose out."

ENDS