ESTABLISHMENT OF CITIZENS' COUNCILS FOR THE REGULATION OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS

EDM number 386 in 2007-08, proposed by David Taylor on 26/11/2007.
Categorised under the topics of Health staff and professions and Patient rights and complaints.

That this House recognises the urgency of the need for reform of regulatory structures for the health professions arising from the Bristol, Shipman, Ayling, Neal, Ledward, Kerr/Haslam and other inquiries; notes the crucial importance of strong patient voices in any new arrangements for patient protection and public safety; supports the contribution of the patient and public representatives involved in different work streams informing the relevant sections of the Health and Social Care Bill and future secondary legislation from 2007 to 2011; is concerned that the number of lay appointees to individual healthcare professional regulatory bodies will be reduced; recognises the difficulties that patient and public groups have in finding the resources to engage in detail with the complex and intricate processes of balancing professional and public interests in this context; believes that new Citizens' Councils should be established in each of the four countries of the UK to work alongside the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE); further believes that Citizens' Councils should be independent and funded from the public purse in order to explain and inform interested and diverse patient and public groups about the nature and significance of proposed changes to the system of professional healthcare regulation, carry out consultations and collate responses on a four country wide basis; and calls upon the Government to introduce Citizens' Councils to independently inform CHRE's strategic decision-making.

This motion has been signed by a total of 27 MPs.