Health Select Committee

Health Select Committee
Name	Health Select Committee
Legislature	Parliament of the United Kingdom
Formed	1979
Jurisdiction	United Kingdom
Chamber	House of Commons
Chair	Committee of Selection (UK)
Members	11–14

Health Select Committee

The Health Select Committee is a parliamentary committee in the House of Commons that scrutinises matters relating to NHS England, Department of Health and Social Care, and wider health policy. It conducts inquiries, publishes reports, summons witnesses, and influences debates in Parliament of the United Kingdom and parliamentary procedures. Its work intersects with major institutions such as National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Care Quality Commission, and actors including ministers, professional bodies, and patient groups.

History

The committee was established following select committee reforms in the late 20th century alongside other departmental committees including the Public Accounts Committee, the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, and the Home Affairs Select Committee. It has examined crises and reforms that touch on high-profile events such as the Aneurin Bevan era debates on the NHS, the structural shifts under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, and responses to pandemics including inquiries into the 2009 swine flu pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. Chairs and members have included figures associated with wider political developments like Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, and David Cameron administrations, and it has interacted with institutions such as NHS England, Public Health England, British Medical Association, Royal College of Nursing, and General Medical Council.

Membership and Structure

Membership is drawn from MPs across parties, nominated by the Committee of Selection (UK) and confirmed by the House of Commons Commission. Chairs have been elected by the whole House in contests similar to those for chairs of the Treasury Select Committee and the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. The committee typically includes members from the Conservative Party (UK), Labour Party (UK), Liberal Democrats (UK), and occasionally smaller groups like the Scottish National Party and Democratic Unionist Party. Administrative support comes from the House of Commons Library and clerks who liaise with bodies such as the National Audit Office and the UK Statistics Authority. Membership terms align with general elections called under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 era and post-2019 arrangements by the Cabinet Office.

Functions and Powers

The committee exercises powers granted by standing orders of the House of Commons to take evidence, compel ministers and officials, and request documents from entities such as NHS England, Care Quality Commission, Public Health England, and private providers like Bupa and Capita. It undertakes pre- and post-legislative scrutiny of laws including the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and interacts with regulators like the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Its remit overlaps with bodies such as the Royal Society on scientific issues, the Wellcome Trust on research funding, and the Medical Research Council on clinical trials policy. Powers include publishing reports, making recommendations adopted in debates in the House of Commons Chamber, and referring matters to the Public Accounts Committee or to Select Committees such as the Science and Technology Select Committee.

Major Inquiries and Reports

The committee has produced influential reports on subjects like hospital commissioning, social care funding, and pandemic preparedness, often citing evidence from organisations including the British Medical Association, Royal College of Physicians, King's Fund, Nuffield Trust, and Health Foundation. High-profile inquiries have addressed the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust public inquiry, issues raised by the Francis Report, backlog and waiting lists similar to those after the Winterbourne View scandal, and investigations into the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic drawing testimony from the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and chief medical officers such as Dame Sally Davies and Professor Chris Whitty. Reports have recommended changes adopted by bodies like NHS Digital, Clinical Commissioning Groups, and Integrated Care Systems.

Relationship with Government and NHS

The committee operates as a parliamentary check on the Department of Health and Social Care and key institutions such as NHS England and Public Health England, summoning officials including Chief Executive of NHS England and ministers like the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. It influences policy debates alongside think tanks such as the Institute for Government and Institute for Public Policy Research, and coordinates with regulators like the Care Quality Commission and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for technical evidence. Its reports have shaped ministerial statements in the House of Commons and led to policy shifts during administrations of leaders such as Theresa May and Boris Johnson.

Criticism and Controversies

The committee has faced criticism from figures including health secretaries, professional bodies, and think tanks like the Adam Smith Institute and Policy Exchange over perceived political bias, selection of witnesses, and recommendations impacting contracts with providers such as Serco and Capita. Controversies include disputes over access to documents from entities like NHS Improvement, tensions with chairs during high-stakes inquiries (echoing conflicts seen in committees such as the Home Affairs Select Committee), and legal challenges invoking the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Debates persist on parliamentary oversight versus executive autonomy, mirroring broader constitutional tensions involving institutions like the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and the Cabinet Office.

Category:Parliamentary committees of the United Kingdom