<p>Patients’ Voices </p>

Part of 1. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:02 pm on 18 July 2017.

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Photo of Llyr Gruffydd Llyr Gruffydd Plaid Cymru 2:02, 18 July 2017

(Translated)

Well, yes, it is, and your Government is currently consulting on scrapping statutory community health councils. I see this as a retrograde step and a dangerous step, particularly for us in north Wales, because we need a strong, independent voice that is locally based, and that can challenge the health boards and challenge the Government when needs be. The health council in north Wales has made over 500 ward visits in the last year, which is some 500 more than Healthcare Inspectorate Wales have done in north Wales. We need to broaden the role of the health council, not centralise it into an ambiguous national body. Now, the new model that has been mentioned in your consultation is based on the Scottish health council, which has been recently described as a ‘toothless hamster’. Do you agree that going down that route in Wales would be a major mistake?