CHC debate

11:19am Wednesday 29th November 2000

I was interested to read the comments by Andrew Dismore MP about the abolition of Community Health Councils (CHCs), the independent patients' watchdogs (BMA join in health debate', November 16).

He is quite right, of course.

There are faults in the system of CHCs and we have asked for them to be addressed for some time.

London CHCs, for example, are operating with only four fifths their membership, in large part because of the local authorities.

London boroughs nominate half the CHCs' 690 strong membership.

There are 89 local authority CHC member vacancies out of a total of 134 vacancies across London, which obviously makes it difficult for affected CHCs to fulfil their roles.

The response of the Department of Health to this lack of interest in health scrutiny from the boroughs is to give the whole role to them without even asking first.

CHCs will now have a long slow death as the Government talks to itself, about who or what will fulfil the remaining CHC roles.

This cannot be good for the patients they represent. The Department of Health has made the decision on abolition and is refusing to consult about it.

The Prime Minister who indicated otherwise to the House of Commons apparently suffered a "slip of the tongue", according to his press office.

I do find the tone of Mr Dismore's comments strangely confrontational.

Why does he want us to "take on the Government?" What happened to the much vaunted partnership approach or does the Department of Health reserve that for people who always agree with them?

We have come up with a number of proposals to improve on the ragbag of fragmented panels and committees laid down by the NHS plan, which are being explored with pan-London bodies. There is something altogether odd about the approach of the Department of Health to the abolition of CHCs. Perhaps as one of our elected representatives Mr Dismore could go and find out what their problem is and come back and tell us. The letters we have written on behalf of seven million Londoners have gone unanswered and requests for meetings are ignored.

Elizabeth Manero

Chairman of the regional

Association of London

Community Health Councils