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Final vote on Health Boards Bill
12/03/2009
People in Scotland could have a say in the running of their local health board under Scottish Government plans up for a final Parliamentary vote today.
Under the Health Boards (Membership and Elections) Bill - which could soon be passed subject to the outcome of a Stage Three Parliamentary debate today - members of the public would be able to stand for and vote in elections to health boards for the first time.
And together with elected local council members, they would form a majority on the board.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the progressive step would allow people across Scotland to play an active part in shaping the decisions of health boards, which in 2009-10 will spend a record £8.64 billion of taxpayers' money.
Ms Sturgeon said:
"Elections to health boards are a crucial step in improving public confidence in the decisions made by boards, which spend billions of pounds of taxpayers' money.
"When vital services are at stake, it's absolutely essential that the voices of local people are listened to and the best way of achieving this is by actively involving them at the ballot box and in the boardroom."
The Bill - if passed - will ensure that:
- Elected members - including local authority representatives and those directly elected by the public - will form a majority of health board members. A chair and other members will be appointed by Ministers, as at present
- Pilot elections will be held and independently evaluated before any decision on further rollout is taken by Parliament
- Elections will be on a proportional representation (Single Transferable Vote) basis. A single ward will cover the whole health board area
- The voting age in health board elections will be lowered to 16
If MSPs approve the Bill today, elections could take place as soon as next year in two pilot NHS boards, which are yet to be confirmed.
Elected members will replace a number of the members on each board currently appointed by Ministers.
Subject to the Bill's progress through Parliament, it is anticipated that the first pilots will get underway in 2010 and last for at least two years in order that the impact of direct elections can be properly tested and independently evaluated before Parliament is asked to take a decision on the roll out of elections to other health boards.