The Future Organization of Community Health Councils

This paper examines the ways in which Community Health Councils (CHCs) might organize themselves in the light of the changes arising out of the purchaser–provider split. These changes have meant that they are only one among several agencies claiming to represent the interests of the user, with most fundamentally the Health Authorities themselves being entrusted with the duty of championing the people. Other means of consulting the public, which bypass the CHCs altogether, are also becoming increasingly popular. Taking as its starting‐point EL(95)142, “Guidance on the changes in establishing arrangements”, this paper looks at practical ways in which CHCs might best organize themselves to face the future. It does this by considering, in turn, membership issues, staffing, resources and accommodation, and the roles and relationships of CHCs with regard to other agencies. It also, more radically, considers their continued viability and relevance in the context of other means of tapping into or representing the public's views in the NHS of the future.