THE Health Minister has rejected a scrutiny panel’s claims that a proposed new health board has not had “sufficiently rigorous or systemic analysis” to warrant its creation.
Deputy Tom Binet was responding to an amendment from the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel, which seeks to limit the creation of a new £70,000-a-year Health and Care Partnership Board to an 18-month trial period.
The minister lodged a proposition calling for the formation of the board, which would sit alongside the existing Health and Community Services Advisory Board, earlier this year.
But, lodging its amendment, the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel said a trial period would allow the board to be “tested in practice to determine whether it is genuinely fit for purpose” in a bid to mitigate risks, address potential governance concerns, and prevent unforeseen costs.
Deputy Binet said the panel’s amendment is “unnecessary and disruptive”, and pointed to mechanisms within his original proposition which allow the board’s terms of reference to be reviewed and contain a requirement to publish of an end-of-year report.
He added that the minister would also have the ability to disband the board, with agreement from the States Assembly agreement, if necessary.
Deputy Binet said that a planned 18-month review could undermine the board’s ability to establish itself, discouraging community providers from acting as board members due to uncertainty about the board’s future, and prevent the recruitment of non-executive directors to serve on the board.
He continued: “Most importantly, the proposed amendment is blind to feedback from community-based health and care providers who have told us to get on with it, and expressed concerns that our ability to deliver long-term change across the heath and care system is hampered by short-term political decisions.
“I respectfully urge Members to reject this amendment and support the proposition as originally lodged.”
