Eleventh report from the Select Committee on Estimates : together with the minutes of evidence taken before sub-committee E and appendices, session 1950-1951: regional hospital boards and hospital management committees.
- Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Estimates
- Date:
- [1951]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Eleventh report from the Select Committee on Estimates : together with the minutes of evidence taken before sub-committee E and appendices, session 1950-1951: regional hospital boards and hospital management committees. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![1 February, 1951.] [Continued. million people and extending from London down to the coast. Perhaps I might take the North East Metropolitan Region where there is one consultant in contact with the regional board. He is a surgeon in Colchester. Even with the changes which have just been made, I think he is the only consultant on that regional board, working in that regional board, the only one in the whole of that enormous region. That is fairly well paralleled throughout the country. That is not enough to pro- duce an adequate liaison between all the consultants of that great segment and the regional board. There is plenty of evidence that since the appointed day mis- understandings and _ inefficiencies have occurred, and delays have cropped up, which we are avoided if representation. sure would have been there had been better 306. Is it not true, however, that it would be very difficult for a busy consultant to find time to do the work which member- ship of a regional board itself would require?—It has always been, again for many generations, one of the substantial portions of a consultant’s work that he should be an adviser to the body which employs him. 307. Then you had the hospital more or less localised whereas now we are dealing with regional boards?—We can only say that the hospital staffs of this country are very willing and ready to adapt themselves to that, and it would in fact be quite prac- ticable. He would doubtless not parti- cipate in all the work of the board, but he would be sure to be there on matters of medical significance. 308. You feel satisfied that, supposing it were decided to have three or four senior consultants in full time practice as members of a regional board, you could find them without difficulty?—Without difficulty, yes. Mr. J. Enoch Powell. 309. Would the increase in professional representation on a regional board from, say, one to five be effective for obtaining the result which you have in mind, unless it were supplemented by some very effec- tive arrangements for briefing those repre- sentatives? Is not that another part of what you are asking for?—That is quite correct. We have asked the Minister for that over the last two or three years. We have asked him to give official recognition to an advisory medical committee or coun- cil to each regional board, composed of consultants of that region elected by their fellows. 310. That is separate from “joint con- sultation”’ as you are using the term in your memorandum, is it not, because joint 10894 consultation is presumably consultation between the board and the advisory body? —Yes. 311. Whereas what we are talking about is an advisory body from which the repre- sentatives on the board derive their in- formation, views and opinions?—Yes. (Professor Cloake.) It is only a question of the regional management arrangement. I think that, if you look at the teaching hospital set up, you will see very much what we are aiming at. Chairman. 312. In the case of teaching hospitals you have got an easy problem because even the largest teaching hospital has a very small geographical area and relatively a much smaller body than even the smallest of the regional boards?—It covers a smaller area, that is true, but it is not necessarily a much smaller body. I think it always covers a small area of the country, but it is not so very much smaller than a regional board. The principles of repre- sentation are no more difficult to apply in regard to a regional hospital area than they are in a teaching hospital. I know that very well because I am the chairman of one of these committees composed of representative consultants from teaching and regional hospitals. We have no falling off in the attendance of members at our meetings because they come thirty to forty miles. A man thinks very carefully before he will accept the nomination, for which the Minister asks, to go on to the regional hospital board, but Se accepted it he does his job. 313. How often does this body, of which you speak, meet?—-Once a month. 314. You find you have a pretty full attendance, do you?—Yes, Sir. 315. Is that representative of all the medical staff?—-The whole regional area sends representatives from each manage- ment committee group. That is all medical. 316. That is at regional level?—Yes, Sir. 317. Is that done in all the regions?—Yes, Sir. 318. J think all you are asking here is that a body of that kind should be offi- cially recognised?—(Dr. Rowland Hill.) Yes. (Professor Cloake.) Yes and no. It is not that body of which we were speak- ing. It was the general body of consultants employed by the regional board who should have an elective right to appoint a medical advisory committee to the board. That is what we are asking for. 319. I think you speak of a statutory right. I take it you do not mind whether it is statutory or official in some other way? C3](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b32182478_0071.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
