| Peter
Viggers, MP for the Gosport constituency, has this week commented
on how he believes new Government legislation will affect local
health provision.
He
said, "I have been considering the implications of the
Health and Social Care Act 2001 which came into effect on
1 January 2003.
"Locally,
the impact is dramatic. The Act imposes a duty on Health Authorities,
Primary Care Trusts and local authorities (in our case Hampshire
County Council) to involve and consult the public on the planning
and development of health services.
"The
duty applies not only when major changes are planned. It also
applies to ongoing service planning and to decisions about
general service delivery.
"The
current situation is that an expert group is developing guidance
on the detailed implications of the new proposals, and the
plan is to issue this guidance to the NHS during January.
"I
will be pressing Ministers to clarify these proposals as they
will affect the Royal Hospital Haslar. It seems to me to be
clear that there will need to be a whole new round of consultations
which will be in the new context of public accountability.
"I
will be asking Hampshire County Council and the health trusts
how they propose to fulfil their duty to consult the public.
And I will use the Parliamentary weapons of questions and
debate to pursue the matter with Ministers."
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