The Scottish Government is pressing ahead with plans for elected health boards despite widespread opposition.
Details of a bill that will pave the way for members of the public to vote for the majority of health board members were published yesterday.
Elections will be held every four years using a system of proportional representation. The government said elected health boards will make the NHS more accountable and responsive to the public.
The British Medical Association concedes the system that health boards use to consult is not working and believes the public is not happy about decisions being made that they feel do not take their views into account.
BMA Scotland chairman Dr Peter Terry said whether or not direct elections are introduced, difficult decisions will have to be made and health boards will still have a duty to consult the public on service changes and independent scrutiny will take place.
“The BMA supports greater public involvement but we do not believe that direct elections are the answer.
“Better alternatives exist and today’s debate should focus on how the government can strengthen local structures – and support NHS boards to improve their own consultation processes and communicate better with the public, rather than introducing expensive elections that divert much-needed NHS funding away from patient care,” he said.
Lib Dem health spokesman Ross Finnie expressed concern at pitting majority-elected health boards against elected councils.
“Of course, local communities must have a strong voice in decisions on local health services but we believe there is more than one way to improve democracy,” he said.
“Liberal Democrats believe the Scottish Government should be focusing on driving for full integration of community health partnerships.”
Labour health spokeswoman Margaret Curran said she was pleased the government had accepted their call to proceed with caution and pilot elections. “The bill acknowledges that opinion was split among local authorities,” she said. “However we are disappointed the SNP will pilot only one system of health board elections.”
Tory public health spokesman Jackson Carlaw said the party was sympathetic to investigating the idea of elected health boards.
“However we remain sceptical of having a majority of elected members on health boards and would suggest an appropriate way forward might be to have a majority of elected members in one pilot scheme and a majority of appointed members in another in order that the two systems can be compared.”
The government is planning to pilot the elections before any decision. Pending progress of the Health Board (Membership and Elections) (Scotland) Bill through parliament, these could get under way in 2010.