Health Services Consultative Committee

The Health Services Consultative Committee (HSCC), originally formed in 2004, has recently been reformed with enhanced role and change in representatives. Previously the Committee only provided a 2 way exchange of information for concerns and recommendations aimed at ensuring health service provision met the needs of the Island's health service. It consisted of 9 lay members.

The Committee now provides independent scrutiny and advice on the operations, performance and effectiveness of the Service.

The all-lay membership of the Committee is:
Andrew Cole (chair)	Sue Gowing	Annette Baker
Christopher Barr	Lee Clarke	Margaret Simpson
Judy Thornley

Members take responsibility for looking at allocated specific areas of Health Services activity, attending appropriate divisional meetings, receiving documents, offering advice and highlighting problem areas. Members report direct to the Chief Executive, and also meet regularly with the Minister.

The objective of allocating specific areas of interest/responsibility is so that each member adopts responsibility for scrutiny of, and establishing a relationship, with a specific area of the Department of Health. This will enable members to become familiar with 'their' areas, develop an understanding of them, and be better able to provide objective scrutiny of their activities.

HSCC members will focus on monitoring the performance of services, quality of services and governance. Members will not become involved in matters of detail, in complaints, in staff matters, or in matters for which lay members of other organisations already provide a service – for example, the Patient Safety Forum or patient representatives.

The HSCC is an independent consultative body to the Department of Health with regard to all aspects of the provision of the National Health Service. Members are appointed by the Appointments Commission.

The HSCC is required to produce an Annual Report and copies are available on-line or in the Tynwald Library.

Further information about the Committee can be obtained from the Secretary: