Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health
Encyclopedia
The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH) was an independent, non-departmental public body sponsored by the UK Department of Health
. The Commission was established by and act of Parliament on 10 December 2002 with a remit "to establish a new system of patient and public involvement in health for England involving traditionally hard to reach groups" – however, there was no agreed budget or management structure in place at that time. The Commission operated from September 2003 until March 2008 when it was replaced with Local Involvement Networks
(LINks), involvement mechanisms that extend public involvement to health and social care.
(LINks); which, although similar in structure had greatly reduced powers of monitoring, inspection and involvement.
. The nine regions were:
Following the 2006 restructure, these regions were reduced to four: North (previously North-east, Humberside/Yorkshire and East Midlands), West (West Midlands & North-west), East (East of England and London) and South (South-east and South-west). The individual regional offices were maintained due to contractual restrictions; the majority of the offices had been opened on long-term leases that CPPIH were unable to buy-out or cancel.
mandate, the CPPIH was structured so that each NHS primary care trust
, NHS ambulance services trust, NHS mental health services trust
and NHS hospital trust
had a "forum" working with them. The 572 forums were made up of a volunteers, initially recruited prior to 1 January 2004.
Each forum was initially required to have seven members, with a view to recruiting on to a total of 10 to 15 members. However, again due to budgetary restraints, many forums did not maintain their initial membership, and further recruitment was slowed to allow issues such as diversity and geographic location to be taken into account.
Department of Health (United Kingdom)
The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government with responsibility for government policy for health and social care matters and for the National Health Service in England along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwise devolved to the Scottish,...
. The Commission was established by and act of Parliament on 10 December 2002 with a remit "to establish a new system of patient and public involvement in health for England involving traditionally hard to reach groups" – however, there was no agreed budget or management structure in place at that time. The Commission operated from September 2003 until March 2008 when it was replaced with Local Involvement Networks
Local Involvement Networks
Local Involvement Networks were launched by the United Kingdom National Health Service in April 2008 following the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007...
(LINks), involvement mechanisms that extend public involvement to health and social care.
Background
Despite its recent set up and ongoing successes, the Commission was included in the Department of Health's "Arm's Length Body Review" (starting November 2003, ending March 2004) and was included in the list of ALBs listed for abolition. In the original review, the Department of Health stated that "Patients’ Forums will remain the cornerstone of the arrangements we have put in place to create opportunities for patients and the public to influence health services" and that the "NHS Appointments Commission will appoint Forum members in the future." However, it soon became clear that the Appointments Commission did not want to take responsibility for this, and the CPPIH continues to recruit members to the Forums. The Commission was officially abolished on the 31st March 2008 when Patients' Forums were replaced by Local Involvement NetworksLocal Involvement Networks
Local Involvement Networks were launched by the United Kingdom National Health Service in April 2008 following the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007...
(LINks); which, although similar in structure had greatly reduced powers of monitoring, inspection and involvement.
The Regions
Initially the nationwide structure of the CPPIH consisted of nine regional centres and one national centre in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. The nine regions were:
- North-east – office in GatesheadGatesheadGateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
- North-west – office in WarringtonWarringtonWarrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
- Humberside/Yorkshire – office in LeedsLeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
- East Midlands – office in NottinghamNottinghamNottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
- West Midlands – office in Birmingham
- East of England – office in CambridgeCambridgeThe city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
- South-east – office in GuildfordGuildfordGuildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
- South-west – office in ExeterExeterExeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
- London – office in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Following the 2006 restructure, these regions were reduced to four: North (previously North-east, Humberside/Yorkshire and East Midlands), West (West Midlands & North-west), East (East of England and London) and South (South-east and South-west). The individual regional offices were maintained due to contractual restrictions; the majority of the offices had been opened on long-term leases that CPPIH were unable to buy-out or cancel.
The Forums
In order to involve patients and the public in its statutoryStatutory Instrument
A Statutory Instrument is the principal form in which delegated or secondary legislation is made in Great Britain.Statutory Instruments are governed by the Statutory Instruments Act 1946. They replaced Statutory Rules and Orders, made under the Rules Publication Act 1893, in 1948.Most delegated...
mandate, the CPPIH was structured so that each NHS primary care trust
NHS Primary Care Trust
An NHS primary care trust is a type of NHS trust, part of the National Health Service in England. PCTs commission primary, community and secondary care from providers. Until 31 may2011 they also provided community services directly. Collectively PCT are responsible for spending around 80% of the...
, NHS ambulance services trust, NHS mental health services trust
NHS Mental Health Services Trust
An NHS Mental Health Trust provides health and social care services for people with mental health problems in England. They are one kind of NHS trust, the regional organisations that together form the National Health Service....
and NHS hospital trust
NHS Hospital Trust
An NHS hospital trust, also known as an acute trust is an NHS trust that provides secondary health services within the English National Health Service and in NHS Wales. Hospital trusts are commissioned to provide these services by NHS primary care trusts....
had a "forum" working with them. The 572 forums were made up of a volunteers, initially recruited prior to 1 January 2004.
Each forum was initially required to have seven members, with a view to recruiting on to a total of 10 to 15 members. However, again due to budgetary restraints, many forums did not maintain their initial membership, and further recruitment was slowed to allow issues such as diversity and geographic location to be taken into account.