Community health councils temporarily reprieved

The government managed to rush the Health and Social Care Bill through its last stages in parliament last week when it agreed a temporary reprieve for community health councils and a statutory body to safeguard patient confidentiality.

Ministers bowed to pressure from the House of Lords not to scrap community health councils immediately but have pledged to revisit the issue after the election. The government's proposals to introduce independent advocacy services remain, however (BMJ 2000;321:315-6, 317). The bill received royal assent last Friday, just before parliament rose in preparation for the general election on 7June.

Health minister John Denham …