Date: 15 Dec 2008

UNISON welcomes Committee backing for Health Board Elections

UNISONScotland today, welcomed the report of the Scottish Parliament's Health and Sport committee, which gives conditional backing to the Government Bill introducing directly elected members to Scottish Health Boards.

The union, which is the largest in the Health Service, backed a previous private members bill on the topic.

Dave Watson, UNISON's Scottish Organiser said "Although the committee's support is conditional, their backing for the pilot projects proposed in the bill, is positive. Since it was created in 1948, the NHS has not been directly accountable to or engaged with the public. It has been a top-down organisation, -a 'we-know-best' organisation that thinks that all the issues are far too complicated for mere mortals to understand and that democracy is therefore not appropriate. We have to change that culture, and that is why we need direct elections."

ENDS

For Further Information Please Contact: Dave Watson (Scottish Organiser) 07958 122 409(m) Chris Bartter (Communications Officer) 07715 583 729 (m)

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