Press Release

Gambling with the Public Voice in Health

9 February 2007

The Government’s plans to reform the public voice in health are ill thought through and unworkable – according to the patient’s watchdog, the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health.

Giving evidence to the Health Select Committee, Sharon Grant, Chair of the Commission, heavily criticised the plans, saying the proposed new system was an irresponsible gamble, and  being set up to fail.

Speaking on behalf of the Commission’s 400 statutory Patient and Public Involvement Forums, she said that there was huge concern that their abolition was a serious mistake, and that their replacement by ill-defined local involvement networks (LINks) had not been adequately thought through.

“We can see no reason to tear up the good work currently under way by PPI Forums across the country, or to go through the pain and delay involved in setting up yet another system. At a time when there is huge public interest in the reform of the NHS, we need to build on solid achievements under existing arrangements.

“Whilst we agree on the need to strengthen the voice of the public in health and social care, current proposals will be seen as weakening it at a critical time. The system will be strapped for cash from the outset, and duplication of functions at local level will waste what resources are available. Local LINks are a vague concept, and will have fewer powers to investigate local services – and they will have no national voice. Without adequate resources and support they will face an unmanageable task over huge geographical areas, and will be unable to engage with those whose needs are often the greatest in health.”

“The need for a powerful public voice in health is greater today than it has ever been – and guesswork about what might work - and cost public money - is just not good enough!  We urge Parliament to think very carefully indeed about what is now before it.”