Health and Social Care Bill

231A: After Clause 180, insert the following new Clause— ““Healthwatch England's Commissioner for Older People (1) The Health and Social Care Act 2008 is amended as follows. (2) In Chapter 3 of Part 1 (quality of health and social care), before section 46 and the preceding cross-heading insert— ““Healthwatch England's Commissioner for Older People Healthwatch England's Commissioner for Older People (1) A member of Healthwatch England shall be designated as the Commissioner for Older People in England. (2) The Commissioner shall exercise their functions independent of their role as a member of Healthwatch England. (3) The general functions of the Commissioner shall be to consult with and garner the opinions of older people, and to represent those opinions in all arenas of public discourse including Parliament. (4) The Commissioner shall be free to set its own parameters within the broad context of monitoring institutions. (5) The Commissioner must encourage the involvement of older people in the work of the Commissioner. (6) The Commissioner must, in a particular, take reasonable steps to listen to and consult with older people on the work to be undertaken by the Commissioner.””””