Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1974-2003 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 linear metre
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Community Health Councils were established in England and Wales in 1974 "to represent the interests in the health service of the public in its district" (National Health Service Reorganisation Act, 1973). Often referred to as 'the patient’s voice in the NHS', each Community Health Council (CHC) served the public and patients in its local area by representing their interests to National Health Service (NHS) authorities and by monitoring the provision of health services to their communities.
CHCs were independent statutory bodies with certain legal powers. CHCs were entitled to receive information about local health services, to be consulted about changes to health service provision, and to carry out monitoring visits to NHS facilities. They also had the power to refer decisions about proposed closures of NHS facilities to the Secretary of State for Health. For this reason, CHCs were sometimes known as the ‘watchdogs’ of the NHS. The co-ordinated monitoring of waiting times in Accident and Emergency departments led to ‘Casualty Watch’ which gained national press coverage. Locally, many CHCs represented patients’ views by campaigning for improved quality of care and better access to NHS services, and by responding to local issues such as proposed hospital closures.
Each CHC had around 20 voluntary members from the local area. Half were appointed the local authority, a third were elected from voluntary bodies and the remainder were appointed by the Secretary of State for Health. Members met every month to six weeks and meetings were usually open to the general public. Guest speakers or guest attendees were often invited, particularly when a specific topic or issue was under discussion.
All CHCs employed a small number of paid office staff and some had shop-front offices, often on the high street, where members of the public could go for advice and information about local NHS services. CHCs published leaflets and guidance on a wide variety of topics from ‘how to find a GP’ to ‘how to make a complaint’.
Within the guiding principles and statutory duties of the legislation, CHCs developed organically in response to the needs of the communities they served and for this reason considerable variation can be found in the records of different CHCs.
Harrow Community Health Council was created in September 1974. Half of its members were nominated by the boroughs of Brent and Harrow. The CHC Initially met at Harrow Hospital and then in a conference room of the Brent and Harrow Area Health Authority in Signal House, Lyon Road from February 1975 onwards. The CHC later had offices on Junction Road.
Community Health Councils in England were abolished in 2003 as part of the ‘NHS Plan (2000)’. The last meeting of Harrow CHC was held in October 2003.
Repository
Archival history
GB 0074 LMA/4736 1974-2003 Collection 1 linear metre Harrow Community Health Council
Community Health Councils were established in England and Wales in 1974 "to represent the interests in the health service of the public in its district" (National Health Service Reorganisation Act, 1973). Often referred to as 'the patient’s voice in the NHS', each Community Health Council (CHC) served the public and patients in its local area by representing their interests to National Health Service (NHS) authorities and by monitoring the provision of health services to their communities.
CHCs were independent statutory bodies with certain legal powers. CHCs were entitled to receive information about local health services, to be consulted about changes to health service provision, and to carry out monitoring visits to NHS facilities. They also had the power to refer decisions about proposed closures of NHS facilities to the Secretary of State for Health. For this reason, CHCs were sometimes known as the ‘watchdogs’ of the NHS. The co-ordinated monitoring of waiting times in Accident and Emergency departments led to ‘Casualty Watch’ which gained national press coverage. Locally, many CHCs represented patients’ views by campaigning for improved quality of care and better access to NHS services, and by responding to local issues such as proposed hospital closures.
Each CHC had around 20 voluntary members from the local area. Half were appointed the local authority, a third were elected from voluntary bodies and the remainder were appointed by the Secretary of State for Health. Members met every month to six weeks and meetings were usually open to the general public. Guest speakers or guest attendees were often invited, particularly when a specific topic or issue was under discussion.
All CHCs employed a small number of paid office staff and some had shop-front offices, often on the high street, where members of the public could go for advice and information about local NHS services. CHCs published leaflets and guidance on a wide variety of topics from ‘how to find a GP’ to ‘how to make a complaint’.
Within the guiding principles and statutory duties of the legislation, CHCs developed organically in response to the needs of the communities they served and for this reason considerable variation can be found in the records of different CHCs.
Harrow Community Health Council was created in September 1974. Half of its members were nominated by the boroughs of Brent and Harrow. The CHC Initially met at Harrow Hospital and then in a conference room of the Brent and Harrow Area Health Authority in Signal House, Lyon Road from February 1975 onwards. The CHC later had offices on Junction Road.
Community Health Councils in England were abolished in 2003 as part of the ‘NHS Plan (2000)’. The last meeting of Harrow CHC was held in October 2003.
Deposited in 2004.
Records of Harrow Community Health Council (CHC) (1974-2003) including Meeting Papers (1974-1980; 1992-2003), Annual Reports (1996-2003), Visit Reports (1996- 2003), Consultation Responses (1999-2003), Attendance Registers (1982-2003) and Publications (2000-2003).
Arranged in six sections:
LMA/4736/01: Meeting papers
LMA/4736/02: Annual reports
LMA/4736/03: Visit reports
LMA/4736/04: Consultation responses
LMA/4736/05: Attendance registers
LMA/4736/06: Publications
These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 2018.
Copyright rests with the depositor.
English
Please see online catalogues at: https://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Added September 2018. UK England London Harrow Community Health Council Health services Middlesex Harrow Europe Western Europe Health policy Health Public health
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Deposited in 2004.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Records of Harrow Community Health Council (CHC) (1974-2003) including Meeting Papers (1974-1980; 1992-2003), Annual Reports (1996-2003), Visit Reports (1996- 2003), Consultation Responses (1999-2003), Attendance Registers (1982-2003) and Publications (2000-2003).
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Arranged in six sections:
LMA/4736/01: Meeting papers
LMA/4736/02: Annual reports
LMA/4736/03: Visit reports
LMA/4736/04: Consultation responses
LMA/4736/05: Attendance registers
LMA/4736/06: Publications
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 2018.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright rests with the depositor.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Please see online catalogues at: https://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English