English: The Welsh Government consultation document entitled 'Services fit for the future' set out a number of proposals with the declared aim of strengthening the voice of citizens in health and social care. However, in the view of many people, the proposal regarding community health councils will not provide an effective and independent voice for patients in Wales. The consultation proposes to abolish community health councils in their current form and establish a new body, based, in some respect, on the Scottish Health Council. This all-Wales body would work across health and social care. Community health councils represent the public's interest in the way services are planned and provided. There are seven community health councils in Wales - one in each of the local health board areas, and responsible to the same local population. The role is to listen to what individuals and the community have to say about health services with regards to the quality, quantity, access to and appropriateness of the services provided for them. They then act as the public voice in letting the managers of the health services know what people want and how things can be improved. In my view, abolishing community health councils and setting up an all-Wales body on the Scottish model will seriously weaken accountability and public influence. It will break the vital link between local people having a say over the services provided by their local health boards. Community health councils provide an accessible outlet for patients, service users and the public to engage with their health services. This is particularly important for vulnerable patients. Community health councils are able to represent the interests of such patients when they are unable to do so themselves. Removing this established and independent avenue for engagement and scrutiny runs the risk of silencing communities' concerns on the delivery of local services. This is an essential component for the improvement of future services within the NHS in Wales. Abolishing the CHCs is also likely to exacerbate the inability of health boards to settle complaints within the existing 30-working days target. At present, nearly half of the complaints to Aneurin Bevan health board are outstanding after 30 working days. My concerns are in no way alleviated by the example set by the Scottish Health Council, which the Welsh Government seems to think is the model we should follow. The Health and Sport Committee of the Scottish Parliament voiced its concern earlier this year. This committee is chaired by Neil Findlay, a Labour Party Member of the Scottish Parliament. They said they were clear that the Scottish Health Council did not, in its current guise, represent itself as a body independent of Government. Concerns were also expressed that SHC's function was not clear to the public or to the health boards. They appeared to lack any formal role on direct engagement with patients and the public who may be impacted by proposed service changes. Indeed, one representative of the Scottish Health Council, when asked about local protests against service changes, told the committee it was not their role to campaign on behalf of local groups. No wonder the committee concluded that the SHC was a 'toothless hamster'. I believe we must retain community health councils with increased powers and responsibilities as the best way of meeting the Welsh Government's aims set out in this consultation. Deputy Presiding Officer, this Government in Wales are not very happy to make changes to the NHS, but they are quite happy to make changes to the NHS's eyes and ears of the public, and want to change it, which is not acceptable. Thank you very much.
Welsh: Mae dogfen ymgynghori Llywodraeth Cymru, 'Gwasanaethau sy'n addas i'r dyfodol' yn nodi nifer o gynigion gyda'r bwriad datganedig o gryfhau llais dinasyddion mewn iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol. Fodd bynnag, ym marn llawer o bobl, ni fydd y cynnig sy'n ymwneud â chynghorau iechyd cymuned yn rhoi llais effeithiol ac annibynnol i gleifion yng Nghymru. Mae'r ymgynghoriad yn cynnig diddymu cynghorau iechyd cymuned ar eu ffurf bresennol a sefydlu corff newydd, yn seiliedig, mewn rhai ffyrdd, ar Gyngor Iechyd yr Alban. Byddai'r corff hwn i Gymru gyfan yn gweithio ar draws iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol. Mae cynghorau iechyd cymuned yn cynrychioli budd y cyhoedd yn y ffordd y caiff gwasanaethau eu cynllunio a'u darparu. Mae yna saith o gynghorau iechyd cymuned yng Nghymru - un ym mhob un o ardaloedd y byrddau iechyd lleol, ac yn atebol i'r un boblogaeth leol. Y rôl yw gwrando ar yr hyn sydd gan unigolion a'r gymuned i'w ddweud am wasanaethau iechyd mewn perthynas ag ansawdd, maint, mynediad at wasanaethau a phriodoldeb y gwasanaethau a ddarperir ar eu cyfer. Maent wedyn yn gweithredu fel llais y cyhoedd drwy adael i reolwyr y gwasanaethau iechyd wybod beth y mae pobl ei eisiau a sut y gellir gwella pethau. Yn fy marn i, bydd dileu cynghorau iechyd cymuned a sefydlu corff ar gyfer Cymru gyfan ar fodel yr Alban, yn gwanhau atebolrwydd a dylanwad y cyhoedd yn ddifrifol. Bydd yn torri'r cysylltiad hanfodol rhwng pobl leol yn dweud eu barn ynglŷn â'r gwasanaethau a ddarperir gan eu byrddau iechyd lleol. Mae cynghorau iechyd cymuned yn darparu man hygyrch i gleifion, defnyddwyr gwasanaethau a'r cyhoedd allu ymgysylltu â'u gwasanaethau iechyd. Mae hyn yn arbennig o bwysig i gleifion sy'n agored i niwed. Gall cynghorau iechyd cymuned gynrychioli buddiannau cleifion o'r fath pan nad ydynt yn gallu gwneud hynny eu hunain. Mae perygl i bryderon cymunedau ynghylch y modd y darperir gwasanaethau lleol gael eu distewi drwy gael gwared ar y dull sefydledig ac annibynnol hwn o ymgysylltu a chraffu. Dyma elfen hanfodol ar gyfer gwella gwasanaethau yn y dyfodol o fewn y GIG yng Nghymru. Hefyd, mae diddymu'r cynghorau iechyd cymuned yn debygol o waethygu anallu byrddau iechyd i ddatrys cwynion o fewn y targed presennol o 30 diwrnod gwaith. Ar hyn o bryd, mae bron i hanner y cwynion i fwrdd iechyd Aneurin Bevan yn dal heb eu datrys ar ôl 30 diwrnod gwaith. Ni chaiff fy mhryderon eu lleddfu mewn unrhyw ffordd gan yr esiampl a osodwyd gan Gyngor Iechyd yr Alban, sef y model y mae Llywodraeth Cymru i'w gweld yn meddwl y dylem ei ddilyn. Lleisiodd Pwyllgor Iechyd a Chwaraeon Senedd yr Alban ei bryder yn gynharach eleni. Mae'r pwyllgor hwn yn cael ei gadeirio gan Neil Findlay, Aelod Llafur o Senedd yr Alban. Roeddent yn dweud eu bod yn glir nad oedd Cyngor Iechyd yr Alban, ar ei ffurf bresennol, yn cynrychioli ei hun fel corff annibynnol ar y Llywodraeth. Mynegwyd pryderon hefyd nad yw swyddogaeth Cyngor Iechyd yr Alban yn amlwg i'r cyhoedd na'r byrddau iechyd. Ymddangosai fel pe na bai ganddo unrhyw rôl ffurfiol o ran ymgysylltu'n uniongyrchol â chleifion a'r cyhoedd a allai gael eu heffeithio gan y newidiadau arfaethedig i'r gwasanaeth. Yn wir, pan ofynnwyd i gynrychiolydd o Gyngor Iechyd yr Alban ynglŷn â phrotestiadau lleol yn erbyn newidiadau i wasanaethau, dywedodd wrth y pwyllgor nad eu rôl oedd ymgyrchu ar ran grwpiau lleol. Nid oes rhyfedd fod y pwyllgor wedi dod i'r casgliad mai 'bochdew diddannedd' oedd Cyngor Iechyd yr Alban. Credaf fod yn rhaid inni gadw cynghorau iechyd cymuned gyda rhagor o bwerau a chyfrifoldebau fel y ffordd orau o ddiwallu amcanion Llywodraeth Cymru a nodir yn yr ymgynghoriad hwn. Dirprwy Lywydd, nid yw'r Llywodraeth hon yng Nghymru yn hapus iawn i wneud newidiadau i'r GIG, ond maent yn ddigon hapus i wneud newidiadau i lygaid a chlustiau'r GIG ar ran y cyhoedd, ac eisiau ei newid, ac nid yw hynny'n dderbyniol. Diolch yn fawr iawn.