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Public Accounts Committee questions top Health post holders

​Yesterday, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) held two Public Hearings – one with the Chief Officer for Health and Community Services, Chris Bown, and a second with the Chair of the Interim Health and Community Services Board, Professor Hugo Mascie-Taylor, regarding the Governance of Health and Social Care Review.

During the Hearings, the PAC questioned Chris Bown and Professor Hugo Mascie-Taylor on key topics such as:

Operation of the Health and Community Services Interim Board:

• The PAC heard that it is international common practice for there to be a Health Board that has non-executive members, and the notion of a board with independent and knowledgeable non-executives is long-established. This applies to health organisations across the world, and the NHS has been implementing this since the 1980's.

• The PAC also heard that the implementation of the Board is about creating a unitary group that is made up of executives and non-executives, to enable a high level of experience and ensuring the executives are held to account.

Value for money in Health and Community Services:

• The PAC heard about current issues with recruitment and retention within health and social care services. It is concerned that these will have a direct effect on the quality of care and value for money that the services are able to offer.
• The PAC also heard that if the Health and Community Services Interim Board isn't demonstrating value for money, it will be closed.

Deputy Lyndsay Feltham, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said: 'We thank both the Chief Officer and Interim Chair for their responses to our questions. The committee was concerned to hear that HR, finance, and health and community services seem disjointed. We are pleased to have gained more clarity around the Health and Community Services Interim Board, and how it is working towards a more accountable structure internally, which will hopefully reassure Islanders. We look forward to our next opportunities to question Chris Bown and Professor Hugo Mascie-Taylor.'

A full recording of the Chief Officer for Health and Community Services, Chris Bown's hearing can be watched here.

A full recording of the Chair of the Interim Health and Community Services Board, Professor Hugo Mascie-Taylor's hearing can be watched here.