Direct Elections To Health Boards Will Not Improve Consultation Among Public

The British Medical Association (BMA) will today (Tuesday 31 October 2006) tell the Scottish Parliament’s Health Committee that plans to introduce direct elections to health boards will do nothing to improve consultation among the public. Speaking in advance of his appearance before the Committee, as part of its consideration of the Direct Elections to Health Board Bill, Dr Dean Marshall, Chairman the BMA’s Scottish GP committee, outlined the reasons why the BMA opposes the Bill.

He said: “It is clear to us that the public and the profession do not feel involved in decisions about changes to their local health services, but introducing direct elections to NHS Boards will not solve the problem. The current system that NHS Boards are using to consult is not working, the public is not happy about decisions that are being made and they don’t feel that their views are being taken into account. However, whether this Bill stands or falls, NHS boards will continue to be required to consult the public on service changes.

“Instead of looking at unnecessary legislation, the focus of this inquiry should be on how Boards can improve consultation processes and communicate better with the public rather than introduce expensive elections that divert much needed NHS funding away from patient care.”

The BMA’s written submission states that:
– Direct elections to NHS boards would lead to local health care provision being determined by political drivers rather by a Board which has a duty to govern and has corporate responsibility for the delivery of local health services.
– Decisions could be driven by short term local targets and distort long term regional planning as resources are diverted into areas of political priorities rather than focusing on areas of clinical need.
– Transparency or openness in decision making would not be improved, rather it would use the NHS as a political platform, which is not appropriate.
– Public involvement in election processes is declining and elections to NHS boards would be costly. The BMA would be concerned that much needed resources would be taken from the health spending budget to finance these elections.
– Consultation should be more than lipservice and broadening access to consultations will ensure a more inclusive nature of determining local service delivery.
– Direct elections to health boards would not improve accountability of the actions of boards.

Dr Marshall added: “This Bill was first proposed in 2003. Since that time, the NHS has been reformed and although consultations may not have improved, there are now structures in place that, if made more functional, have the potential to involve and engage the public in a far more effective way.”