National Health Service Bill : summary of the proposed new service.

  • Great Britain. Ministry of Health
Date:
[1946]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: National Health Service Bill : summary of the proposed new service. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Health committees gt. Local health authorities will, in the future, be required to appoint statutory health committees (comparable in many ways to their statutory Education Committees) and to refer to them all matters relating to the dis- charge of their functions under the Bill. The health committees may be authorised to exercise functions on behalf of their parent authorities and there is discretion to appoint by co-option expert members who are not members of the authority itself. GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL PROVISIONS Central Health Services Council 92. In paragraph ro the setting up of new technical advisory machinery by the Minister’s side has keen mentioned. In more detail, the arrangements are these. To advise him generally on the administration of the health service the Minister is to have beside him a Central Health Services Council. The members are to be doctors, dentists, nurses and other professional people concerned with the different parts of the service, together with people having experience of hospital management, of local-government and of mental health services—all of them appointed by the Minister in their individual capacities, but after consultation with the appropriate representative organizations. The Presidents or Chairmen of six of the principal medical bodies in the coun- try are also to serve on the Council, ex officio. 93. The new Central Council will be free to advise the Minister of its own initiative on any expert aspect of the services, as well as on matters expressly referred to it by him. It will report annually to the Minister, who will lay the report before Parliament—with his own comments, if he wishes— unless he is satisfied that it would be contrary to the public interest to publish the report or any part of it. 94. The Minister is empowered also to constitute various Standing Advisory Committees on different technical aspects of the new service. These Com- mittees are not specified in the Bill. They will in fact deal with medical aspects of the service, mental heaith, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, and any other matters justifying special advisory machinery. They will deal with questions referred to them either by the Minister or by the Central Council and will have direct access to the Minister as well as to the Council. Default powers of Minister g5. The Minister is given default powers against Icca] health authorities and any of the bodies constituted by the Bill—the various hospital bodies, Execu- tive Councils and others—if they are not carrying out their functions satis- factorily. He can make an order directing them to do whatever may be necessary and then, if still not satisfied, he may take over their functions, permanently or temporarily, himself. Position of officers 96. Regulations made by the Minister may lay down the qualifications and conditions of service of any or all of the officers and employees of all bodies (including voluntary organizations) concerned with providing services under the Bill. In regulating conditions of service or remuneration, it will be his object—as already stated—to use appropriate machinery of discussion and negotiation with representatives of those affected. 97. The Minister is empowered to establish contributory superannuation arrangements for the staffs of hospitals (including the specialist services), Executive Councils, the bacteriological and blood transfusion services, and
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