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anon 12.26
Well, I'm speaking as a Chief Officer of a Community Health Council in Wales (yes, we still have them here, and there's pretty solid support). So what benefits does statutory status give us ?
- our role is clearly and legally defined; everone knows that we're set up to do, where we get our members from and who we're speaking on behalf of
- when it comes to discussions around service change and (sometimes) closures, we're the clearly identified body who engage with the public and aim to provide the broad public view. Health Boards have a statutory responsibility to consult with us, and if we can't support proposals, we have a statitory right to take our concerns to the Welsh Health Minister
- we also have a statutory right to visit and inspect all NHS premises in our patch (unannounced if we feel its appropriate) and see comments and action from Health Boards on our findings
- we've got a statutory role in supporting patients (if they desire) with complaints on NHS services

That's just a summary. But above all, what the statutory status gives is authority and clarity. Everyone knows what our role, position and responsibility is, and where we draw our auhtority from. Its laid out in law. It also helps to maintain our independence and ability to speak for patient and communities. Yes, sometimes we could do it better, but our role is clearly understood..