Lay representation on IPC committee
Vale of Leven Inquiry · The Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry Report · Issued 24 November 2014 · Addressed to: NHS Health Boards (Scotland)
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
Health Boards should ensure that there is lay representation at Board infection prevention and control committee level in keeping with local policy on public involvement.
Vale of Leven Inquiry, The Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry Report · 24 Nov 2014 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- The HAI Standards require NHS boards to maintain IPC governance structures with regular meetings, appropriate reporting lines, and lay involvement. The requirement that there is lay representation at Board IPC committee level is embedded in the governance framework monitored by Healthcare Improvement Scotland.
- The Scottish Government's response outlined the requirement for IPC governance at all organisational levels, from ward-based teams through to the board, with the ICM responsible for ensuring effective governance structures are in place.
- The NHS Reform (Scotland) Act 2004 requires NHS boards to involve patients and public in decision-making, which includes representation on governance committees including those dealing with IPC.
Response — verbatim from government
●Scottish Government
Section 2.1 of the Scottish Government's response outlines several initiatives to ensure patient and public involvement, including the National Health Service Reform (Scotland) Act 2004, which requires NHS boards to involve the public in service planning and design. The Scottish Health Council and the Participation Standard monitor and drive improvement in public involvement, while public partnership forums serve as a link between communities and health services. These mechanisms support the inclusion of lay representation at various levels, including infection prevention and control committees.
Scottish Government · 18 Jun 2015 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 1 May 2022 · Healthcare Improvement Scotland HIS IPC Standards (2022) address governance requirements. Scottish Government public involvement standards require patient and public representation in NHS governance. View source → Good Progress
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.