A brief guide for visitors to our PCT Board meetings
Thank you for showing an interest in the work of your Primary Care
Trust. Board
meetings of Taunton Deane Primary Care Trust are open to the press
and public. This page is designed to help you ask any questions on
matter related to the work of the PCT.
Name badges for each board member are displayed on the table in
front of the member to enable you to identify who is speaking at each
meeting.
Time is set aside at the beginning of the meeting for you to ask
questions, make comments and raise matters of concern, but you are not
allowed to take part in the discussions. There will be a fixed time
slot of a maximum of ten minutes in which the public can ask questions
on any matter related to the work of the PCT. In some cases immediate
answers cannot be given but a written answer will be sent as soon as
possible.
If what you say relates to an item on the agenda you may put
forward your point of view when it is being considered. Members of the
public are allowed to speak for a maximum of three minutes on any
particular item as it arises on the agenda. If a group of people wish
to make the same point, this will be dealt with by the chairman asking
subsequent speakers whether they simply agree with what the first
speaker has said, or whether there is anything that they wish to add.
Items of Discussion
All the items to be discussed at the meeting are listed on the
agenda. Copies are provided for the public but from time to time
demand exceeds supply and you may need to share a copy with another
member of the public.
Most agenda items consist of a brief report followed by one or more
recommendations. There may also be a Part 2 of the agenda which covers
confidential information. Before such items are discussed the Board is
required to pass a special resolution to exclude the press and public
and you will be required to leave the room.
How the meeting is run
The chairman is responsible for the orderly conduct of the meeting.
this is governed by a set of procedures and rules of debate called
standing orders and by legal requirements called statutory provisions.
At the start of the meeting Board members have to say publicly if
they have a financial or other personal interest in any of the items
on the agenda. This is called declaring an interest and when the
relevant item is discussed the member may not participate in the
discussion and may be asked to leave the room.
Sometimes items are dealt with without any debate. This does not
mean that they have not received careful consideration; it means that
no-one wants to challenge the recommendations. A formal vote will not
be taken if there is a general consensus on a suggested course of
action.
Keeping accurate records
The records of what is discussed at a meeting are called minutes.
The board secretary writes these shortly after the meeting and copies
can be read on this website and at the public library.
At first business at the next meeting these minutes have to be
approved as a correct record or have an inaccuracies corrected before
being signed by the chairman. In this way a permanent, accurate record
is kept of all the business dealt with by the PCT.
Stating your point of view
There are two ways to state your point of view.
- For general matters not relating to items on the agenda you may
at the beginning of the meeting ask questions or make a statement
or comment about any matter which you feel will be of interest to
the Board.
- If the matter is on the agenda you may make a short contribution
at the start of the item.
If you wish to speak it would be helpful if you could inform the
board secretary before the start of the meeting so that the chairman
can ensure that you are called at the right time. if you are in any
doubt as to whom to contact, just ask any Board member.
If you require any assistance in preparing your statement or
question, or if you need further guidance on how the Board operates
then please contact the board secretary, whose details appear below.
Contact Details
Phil Brice
Director of Corporate Business
Taunton Deane Primary Care Trust
Wellsprings Road
Taunton
Somerset
TA2 7PQ
Tel. 01832 333491
Fax: 01823 272710
Email: phil.brice@somerset.nhs.uk
|
