, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
That's our hope, yes. There's nothing to suggest at the moment that it won't be fit for purpose. The legal frameworks that we have are pretty solid at the moment, they've worked well over the last number of years, although there might be political questions…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
So, assessments have been made of any potential financial implications and we don't foresee any financial implications for the NHS in Wales or Welsh Government.
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
So, as I said, as the Bill progresses, officials keep in contact with officials in England so there's an understanding and a continuity there.
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
Yes, so—. Thanks, Claire. We've got to monitor the Bill as it progresses now, making sure that it doesn't impact on Welsh patients. We'll continue to assess any of the implications that might arise from abolishing NHS England and any consequential service…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
Sorry. I'll answer in English. I’m so sorry, Jayne. When the commissioning body or the organisation that commissions the service asks for that service to be provided, then they're in charge of the patient; that will continue, and responsibility will lie with…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
That's a very good question. I think that as things currently stand—.
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
Yes. That's a fair point. Once again, Llais will continue to be a body that represents and advocates for Welsh patients. What they're doing with Healthwatch in England is an issue for England; it won't affect patients in Wales. Again, perhaps there is a…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
On that, that's a fair question, but there's a broader question linked to that around the current system, isn't there, as to whether people are aware of the accountability system that is in place. Now, perhaps that is something you would wish to look at in…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
So, I will be repeating myself, because it's that assurance that you and patients are seeking. I know Alex wants to come in, and he has a depth of understanding of this.
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
This does touch on Claire's previous question, and I think this is a very fair series of questions, because this is what patients in Wales will want to know. They'll want to have that assurance that whatever new arrangements come into place in England, they…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
The same systems would apply.
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
—as things stand. But the system that—. Let's say there's a patient from Wales receiving treatment in Wales, and something goes wrong, then there are escalation frameworks in place, where they're allowed to go through, as I said, Llais. There are systems in…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
Well, I can't step in to help the patient—
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
Sorry, in what sense?
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
So, once again, there are frameworks in place already, ensuring that patients from Wales can escalate concerns and have access to advocacy. So, we've got Llais in Wales already, and they will still have the ability to represent patients in Wales, even though…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
And especially as we have so many patients from Wales being treated in England. And there are services that we can provide here. So, moving forward to the future, it's certainly something we need to look at.
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
Yes.
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
Again, in the response we've had today, I've just scanned it, but there's a part there saying that the UK Government are willing to work with us, if we want, as a Welsh Government, to look at how they can allow that provision of interoperability between the…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
I remember when we first saw this when it came on my desk, that was one of the major concerns I had, and one of the questions I asked was, 'How can we allow this to happen, whereby the UK Government would be allowed to overrule the Welsh Government in this…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
Once we see the draft of the wording, then we'll be content as that moves forward.
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
Again, we've received assurances from the UK Government that those amendments will be placed, so we have to wait and see that, but that gives us the security that they've listened to our concerns around it.
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
We did have some serious reservations about the proposed changes with Schedule 7, as was promoted, which was going to amend the 2012 Act, but officials shared those concerns with the UK Gov officials, expressed those concerns, and as Mari has eloquently…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
I don't know what the protocol is around that. Certainly, we can share highlights of the letters so that you're aware of some of the promises made, but—
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
Okay, so when it comes to the single patient record, the main area of concern for us in Welsh Government has been on understanding the cross-border element of the information-sharing implications for Wales. So, we've had some assurances from the UK Government…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Legislative Consent: Health Bill - evidence session 4
Yes, so these are all considerations that will have to be kept in mind as the Bill progresses. As things stand, again, just to re-emphasise my understanding, we've got no real concerns about the agreements that we currently have between the JCC, as the…
