Commentary on Sections Patient and public involvement Section 31: Patients’ Forums
119.Subsection (2) amends section 15 of the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002 (“the 2002 Act”). This amendment will require a Patients’ Forum to be established for every NHS foundation trust.
120.Subsections (3)-(5) make consequential amendments to Part 1 of the 2002 Act so that the provisions relating to public and patient involvement in health apply to NHS foundation trusts in a consistent way. The subsections include an amendment to section 17(1) of the 2002 Act, which provides for the Secretary of State to make regulations requiring NHS foundation trusts to allow members of a Patients’ Forum authorised to do so under the regulations to enter and inspect the premises of NHS foundation trusts. There is also an amendment to section 18(2) of the 2002 Act, which provides that where a Patients’ Forum prepares an annual report about activities that relate to an NHS foundation trust, it must send a copy to the Independent Regulator.