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Health board elections outlined Health board elections outlined
(about 2 hours later)
Plans for direct elections to health boards to help boost public confidence in the health service have been announced by the Scottish Government.Plans for direct elections to health boards to help boost public confidence in the health service have been announced by the Scottish Government.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said many people believed that health authorities had not always properly listened to local views.Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said many people believed that health authorities had not always properly listened to local views.
The proposal will be outlined in draft legislation to be brought before parliament in the summer.The proposal will be outlined in draft legislation to be brought before parliament in the summer.
It forms part of plans to give people a greater say in the running of the NHS. The Liberal Democrats said they were unconvinced about the plans.
Ms Sturgeon said ministers understood that difficult decisions had to be made about NHS services, but that local people should be at the heart of the process.Ms Sturgeon said ministers understood that difficult decisions had to be made about NHS services, but that local people should be at the heart of the process.
'Strong feeling''Strong feeling'
One of the earliest acts of the new Scottish Government was to reverse decisions by the previous administration to close accident and emergency units at Ayr hospital and Monklands in Lanarkshire, which had caused a local outcry.One of the earliest acts of the new Scottish Government was to reverse decisions by the previous administration to close accident and emergency units at Ayr hospital and Monklands in Lanarkshire, which had caused a local outcry.
"Some recent decisions to change the way NHS services in Scotland are delivered have raised strong feeling in local communities and many people believe that some NHS boards have not taken sufficient account of the views of local people," said Ms Sturgeon."Some recent decisions to change the way NHS services in Scotland are delivered have raised strong feeling in local communities and many people believe that some NHS boards have not taken sufficient account of the views of local people," said Ms Sturgeon.
A consultation on the proposals, to be contained in the Local Healthcare Bill, has been launched by the Scottish Government. The public has been asked for their views on health board elections - to be contained in a Local Healthcare Bill - over the next few months.
The move was welcomed by the government-established Scottish Health Council, which aims to ensure the views of patients and the public are properly taken into account by health boards. Elections across Scotland's 14 NHS boards would cost about £5m, but would depend on their size and scope.
Ms Sturgeon said there was a "very strong case" for having a majority of members elected, but added that the minority Holyrood administration would have to recognise the wide-ranging views on the issue.
Liberal Democrat health spokesman Ross Finnie said: "I want the Scottish Government to consider extending the role and powers of local councillors to involve them in decisions about health services in their areas."
The announcement was welcomed by the government-established Scottish Health Council.