The UK government yesterday announced the abolition of 192 government funded but arms-length bodies (“quangos”), with a number of HIV-related organisations affected. However in many cases, the reforms amount to an increase in ministerial control of the organisations rather than outright abolition.
The Health Protection Agency (responsible for epidemiological surveillance) will be abolished, with its functions brought into the new Public Health Service at the Department of Health.
The Equalities and Human Rights Commission (which has a role in combating discrimination on the basis of HIV status) is to be retained, but with reduced funding and a reduced role focused on core functions of regulating equality and anti-discrimination law.
Until now the Department of Health has consulted two independent advisory bodies concerned with HIV: the Expert Advisory Group on AIDS (dominated by clinicians) and the Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health & HIV (dominated by voluntary sector representatives). The former is to be reconstituted as a committee of experts within the Department of Health, whereas the latter is to be abolished and replaced by a stakeholder advisory group.
Both the Advisory Group on Hepatitis and the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (currently considering the blood donation ban for gay men) will also be reconstituted as expert committees. The Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy will be abolished.
The Guardian commented on the action by health minister Andrew Lansley: “This is greater centralisation of advice and decision-making from a minister pledged to decentralisation.”
The Financial Times noted: “Less has been abolished here than first meets the eye. Ministers have discovered that many of the functions of quangos are necessary. Large chunks of those scrapped will end up elsewhere – inside government departments, in a new public health service, devolved to local government.”