Dear 20 May 2004

Better Healthcare Closer To Home

Please find attached a general letter of invitation to a ‘question and answer’ workshop on 17 June 2004. This replaces the event previously planned for that day.

We very much accept the general view that we were expecting too much of the panel on that day, both as regards complexity of material to absorb and produce a preferred option. We also accept a view that MPs and Local Authorities may wish to submit views ahead of formal consultation.

Our current plans are set out in more detail in the attachments to this letter. But in brief terms, we plan to add 4 weeks to the timescale so you (and others) can peruse the material that will feed into our formal consultation document, and if you so choose, comment on that material (stressing that this is additional to the formal consultation period and does not prejudice your right to comment again during that period).

We aim to publish this material in a set of Working Papers in early June, taking comments by early July (and then again during final consultation)

Since 17 June is in many diaries, we will use that as an opportunity for you and others to meet the authors of the working papers and participate in a question and answer session, so as to better equip you to make comments by early July.

The question arises as to whether you would wish to address the NHS officials on 17 June in addition to participating in the ‘question and answer’ discussion on 17 June?

On the assumption that you may want to do this we have designated one of the sessions in the programme for this purpose. Our suggestion is that each of the areas (Merton, Sutton and Surrey) should have 30 minutes for any address they wish to make (whether this should be used by the relevant MP or Local Council or both is something I could perhaps leave to you to sort out with colleagues?)

Attached is a draft programme for the 17 June and I should be grateful if you would let me know:

a) whether you wish to attend for all or part

b) whether you will wish to address NHS officials

Best Wishes

Yours sincerely

Distribution list

MPs

Council Leaders

Council C Executives