The Health and Social Care Committee is launching an inquiry
to scrutinise how the Government is developing its 10 Year Health
Plan, with a focus on ensuring that typically under-represented
groups are included in the formation of the Plan.
The Committee has today written to the Secretary
of State for Health and Social Care, , to ask for details on the engagement element of
the 10 Year Health Plan.
In their letter, MPs want to find out how the Change NHS
online platform is being shared and promoted, particularly to
under-represented groups and whether the Department for Health
and Social Care will employ additional engagement activities to
ensure that it hears from a diverse range of voices, including
people who are less likely to have engaged with the online
survey.
The Committee also asks how the views gathered from engagement
activities will be used to inform the 10 Year Plan, and if the
Department intends to fully publish the results of the engagement
exercise.
The Committee will next week take oral evidence from Lord
Darzi, which will give MPs the opportunity to ask Lord Darzi how
he thinks the Government's 10 Year Health Plan should address the
issues raised in his report.
The Committee is also planning to hold a roundtable event with
under-represented patient groups and a further oral evidence
session, ahead of the Secretary of State appearing before the
Committee on 18 December.
The Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, MP, said:
“We welcome the Government's recognition of the scale of the
challenge facing the NHS and the need to engage widely to develop
its plans for reform.
“It is essential that the Government's 10 Year Health Plan is
based on robust evidence and informed by the experience of
patients – including groups that are most affected by health
inequalities and who are often overlooked by decision
makers.”
