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Listen
Covering Letter
Healthcare Policy and Strategy Directorate
Patients and Quality Division
T: 0131-244 2378 F: 0131-244 2989
E: NHSindependentscrutiny@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Chief Executives and Chairs, NHS Boards
COSLA & Chief Executives, Local Authorities
Presidents, Royal Colleges
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
Scottish Health Council
Chairs of Community Health Partnerships
Scottish Consumer Council
Citizen's Advice Scotland
Voluntary Health Scotland
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland
October 2007
Dear Sir/Madam
We are inviting written responses to the attached consultation document - on the Scottish Government's intention of introducing independent, external scrutiny of proposals for major changes in NHS services - by Friday 25 January 2008.
Consultation
We would be grateful if you would use the consultation questionnaire provided or could clearly indicate in your response which questions or parts of the consultation paper you are responding to as this will aid our analysis of the responses received.
This consultation, and all other Scottish Government consultation exercises, can be viewed online on the consultation web pages of the Scottish Government website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Consultations/Current. You can telephone Freephone 0800 77 1234 to find out where your nearest public internet access point is.
The Scottish Government has an email alert system for consultations ( SEconsult: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/seconsult.aspx). This system allows stakeholder individuals and organisations to register and receive a weekly email containing details of all new consultations (including web links). SEconsult complements, but in no way replaces SG distribution lists, and is designed to allow stakeholders to keep up to date with all SG consultation activity, and therefore be alerted at the earliest opportunity to those of most interest. We would encourage you to register.
Handling your response
We need to know how you wish your response to be handled and, in particular, whether you are happy for your response to be made public. Please complete and return the Respondent Information Form enclosed with this consultation paper as this will ensure that we treat your response appropriately. If you ask for your response not to be published we will regard it as confidential, and we will treat it accordingly.
All respondents should be aware that the Scottish Government are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and would therefore have to consider any request made to it under the Act for information relating to responses made to this consultation exercise.
Completed information
The completed Respondent Information Form and any written response to the Consultation Paper Questions should be returned to: NHS Independent Scrutiny Consultation, Freepost NATN452, Healthcare Policy and Strategy Directorate, St Andrew's House, Edinburgh EHI 0BR or NHSindependentsrutiny@scotland.gsi.gov.uk by 25 January 2008.
Next steps in the process
Where respondents have given permission for their response to be made public (see the attached Respondent Information Form), these will be made available to the public in the Scottish Government Library by 1 March 2008 and on the Scottish Government consultation web pages by 8 March 2008. We will check all responses where agreement to publish has been given for any potentially defamatory material before logging them in the library or placing them on the website. You can make arrangements to view responses by contacting the SG Library on 0131 244 4565. Responses can be copied and sent to you, but a charge may be made for this service.
What happens next?
Following the closing date, all responses will be analysed and considered along with any other available evidence to help us reach a decision on the content of these regulations. We aim to issue a report on this consultation process by 11 April 2008.
Comments and complaints
If you have any comments or queries about how this consultation exercise has been conducted, please submit these to NHS Independent Scrutiny Consultation, Freepost NATN452, Healthcare Policy and Strategy Directorate, St Andrew's House, Edinburgh EHI 0BR or e-mail to NHSindependentsrutiny@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.
Yours faithfully
DAN ISAAC
Patients and Quality Division
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