Member to the reply I gave the hon. Local authorities have been required to reach agreements with health authorities on their respective responsibilities for long-term care and procedures for hospital discharge. We have no plans to establish a working party on collaboration between community health councils, district health authorities and social services departments. Single integrated health authorities are being introduced from 1 April 1996. Codes of conduct and accountability were published last year and are mandatory for all NHS boards.
Compliance is a condition of appointment for all board members, both executive and non-executive.
We have no plans to extend the role of CHCs to monitor mental health care in the community services provided by local authorities. As such, the guidance pointed out that CHCs may find it useful to discuss with local authority social services departments the role that they play in joint health and social services arrangements. Once implemented, this guidance should lead to a substantial improvement in the provision of a full range of continuing health care services. Member to the reply that I gave to the right hon. To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will guarantee the rights of rural general practitioners to dispense prescriptions irrespective of the opening of pharmacies in their locality.