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By chance, I was at a meeting today where there was a 'policy advisor' from DoH (simon Stevens), so I raised the issue about 'suppressing' unofficial reports. He said that The Observer had got it wrong and that the only purpose of the clauses were to protect patients' confidentiality. However, I remain suspicious as they are also abolishing CHCs (on the grounds that they are 'ineffective' - by whose yardstick?), and the replacements look as if they will be either relatively toothless (the Patients Liaison and Advisory Service to be appointed by the Hospitals and the Patients Fora to be appointed by the NHS Appointments Comittee) or underfunded (the Local Authority Scrutiny Committtes will have to be funded mostly out of 'efficiency savings' - and we all know what happens with 'efficiency savings'). For example, it seems to me that a report like the on-the-spot Census of waiting in A and E Departments a couple of years ago would be illegal under this Act. On Mon, 29 Jan 2001, Alison Macfarlane wrote: > On Mon, 29 Jan 2001, Penelope Mullen wrote: > > > I was concerned by the item in the Observer yesterday "Milburn set to > > outlaw unofficial NHS reports". > > I have looked at the Section in question (Section 59 of the Health > > and Social Care Bill). > > I am not a lawyer so I might be misinterpreting this, but I am very > > concerned about Clause 10(c) because of its potentially very wide > > interpretation. > > In addition, Clauses 4(c) and 12(a) appear to have potentially > > serious consequences for patient confidentiality. > > Have I got this wrong? > > Can anyone help? > > Penny > > (Penelope Mullen) > > > > > I think there is a lot of concern about Clause 59. Cn you please tell us a > bit more about what the Observer said or a website for the article. > > Alison Macfarlane > > ****************************************************** > Please think before you press the 'Reply' button! Note that if you press > the 'Reply' button your message will go the individual who posted this message > not to the list. With many mailers you will have a 'Reply-to-All' button that > will send automatically to the list address of <[log in to unmask]>. The > Radstats list is set up for public discussion so please be generous with your > thoughts and share them us all. > ******************************************************* > ****************************************************** Please think before you press the 'Reply' button! Note that if you press the 'Reply' button your message will go the individual who posted this message not to the list. With many mailers you will have a 'Reply-to-All' button that will send automatically to the list address of <[log in to unmask]>. The Radstats list is set up for public discussion so please be generous with your thoughts and share them us all. *******************************************************