Impact of the work of the Committee
25. Measuring the impact of the work of any select
committee is a difficult task. A simple measure is to look at
the number of recommendations it makes that are accepted by Government.
Limiting ourselves to this we can record a number of notable successes.
We are especially pleased that the Government has accepted our
demands for a 48 hour waiting time target for GUM clinics, has
acknowledged the need to replace the outdated chlamydia test,
and has made additional funding available to achieve this. We
are not satisfied, however, that it has adequately addressed the
current deficiencies in sex and relationships education, or that
funding and access to treatment for those suffering from HIV/AIDS
will be sufficient, that enough consultants will be in post to
meet demand, or that premises will be brought up to date within
the reasonable future.
26. We are pleased that the Government clearly took
careful stock of our Report in drawing up its own response to
the OFT proposals on The Control of Entry Regulations and Retail
Pharmacy Services in the UK and has reached broadly similar
conclusions to ours.
27. We are in no position to say what the Government's
response has been to our three maternity Reports since none has
yet been forthcoming. We can see the logic of the Department issuing
a single reply to three interlinked Reports. But the first of
these Reports was published seven months ago and the last six
months ago. So we are taking the opportunity that this Report
provides to register our irritation at this shoddy treatment by
the Department which we regard as wholly unacceptable.
28. The impact of a Committee, however, goes beyond
an analysis of number of recommendations accepted. We believe
our Report on Foundation Trusts did much to stimulate debate
on the subject and brought a lot of material into the public domain
that otherwise would have remained undisclosed. Similarly, that
into Patient and Public involvement in the NHS has informed
our own later inquiries and has been beneficial to those taking
part in debates relating to NHS reform. Finally, even though we
have yet to report on Obesity, nobody can have failed to
observe the extent to which this subject has become a major public
concern in recent months, with thousands of articles and programmes
appearing on it. We believe we have been a major catalyst in that
debate and we take seriously our responsibilities in drawing up
what will be a major Report.
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