The Patient and Client Council (Membership and Procedure) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009
These regulations make provision concerning the membership of the Patient and Client Council established under the Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009. They prescribe that 16 persons shall be appointed to the Patient and Client Council by the Department (regulation 2(1)) and that these persons shall include 5 members of district councils, 5 persons representing voluntary organisations with an interest in health and social care and one person representing a trade union (regulation 2(2)). They provide for the disqualification and cessation of disqualification for appointment and prescribe in relation to tenure of office, suspension, resignation, removal and disclosure of interests of the Chair and persons appointed by the Department under these regulations. In addition, the regulations make provision in relation to standing orders and the appointment of a deputy Chair, committees and sub-committees. With regard to committees they specifically prescribe that the Patient and Client Council shall appoint a committee for each of the areas specified in the Schedule to which it may delegate such of its functions as it thinks fit. They also prescribe the nature of complaints the Patient and Client Council may provide assistance with and provide a right of entry for Patient and Client Council members to certain establishments providing health and social care.