The country is preparing to go to the polls again. For Local Authorities and the NHS this means that many controversial decisions will be put on hold as the doctrine of Purdah means that public bodies shut down their policy-making efforts. Civil servants and commissioners avoid doing or saying anything that might favour outgoing Cabinet […]
Making the most of Purdah! Read More »
Earlier this week we received word that the House of Commons’ Select Committee on Health had launched an inquiry in the NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs). This news got snowed under following NHS England’s ‘Next Steps’ report which we commented on earlier but it is very important it gets the attention it deserves. It
Health Select Committee launches inquiry into STPs Read More »
The tension in relationships between councillors and health commissioners is never more evident than in the run up to local elections. We can hardly blame politicians for acting politically, so it’s no surprise that as elections approach in England we see a flurry of calls for local health scrutiny committees to refer commissioners’ decisions for
Referring consultations to the Health Secretary: what actually happens? Read More »
The NHS in England has published its ‘Next Steps’ document, taking stock of progress against the Five Year Forward View (FYFV) and charting the way forward. It is an intimidating paper – full of detail and with enough acronyms for a dozen alphabets. For all that, it is also highly revealing and is worth serious
The NHS ‘Next Steps’ paper – and its implications for consultation and engagement Read More »
“Our NHS, our ‘national religion’, is in crisis and the adult social care system is on the brink of collapse.” The first line in the House of Lords’ report on the NHS long-term sustainability immediately sets a gloomy tone. The 134-page report was published yesterday after a 10-month inquiry into the future of the NHS.
Institute comments on slamming Select Committee’s report on NHS long-term sustainability Read More »
To what extent should decision-makers be obliged to explain their thinking – especially if it’s in defiance of consultation responses? One of the persistent criticisms of public consultations is that they are not sufficiently transparent. And even if critics accept that the dialogue phase is becoming more open, they will insist that after the closing
A duty to explain? Read More »
Rhion Jones has been reading Simon Stevens’ long-awaited update to the NHS Five Year Plan in England. He finds some interesting harbingers of what’s ahead in an admittedly challenging environment. Whilst much sound and fury has raged over the apparent failure of NHS bodies to engage fully with Councils and the voluntary sectors over Sustainability
Institute comments on updated NHS Five-Year Forward View Read More »
Hundreds of Institute members and supporters have heard me deliver ‘The Law of Consultation‘ training course in recent years. But not in Scotland! Typically we review about 35 Judicial Reviews in the High Court of England, Wales and occasionally Northern Ireland – all those occasions where someone has sought to show that a public consultation
‘The Law of consultation’ course taken to Scotland Read More »
The UK Government has been scratching its head since they received word from a United Nations committee, advising them to suspend work on Hinkley Point C, a nuclear power station in Somerset. The Government has been accused of not notifying neighbouring countries of its intention to build this power station, thereby neglecting its obligations to
Why are environmentalists suddenly interested in international consultation obligations? Read More »
Not always … but sometimes Twenty years ago, the Blair Government entered office and held discussions with the voluntary and community sector; these ultimately led to the National Compact. It committed the Government to consulting the Third Sector when the latter’s interests were affected and to do so for twelve weeks. It was already the
The case for shorter consultations Read More »
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