MYSTERY shopper-style inspectors are to be sent in to hospitals and GP surgeries.

But they will not be pretending to have broken arms or legs.

The plans were unveiled to Abertawe Bro Morgannwg Community Health Council and are part of changes to the body's visiting policy across Wales.

It was a deputy chief officer of a CHC in North Wales who came up with the mystery shopper idea as an alternative to the more usual hospital patient environment (HPE) exercise to check NHS services, a visit which the hospital or surgery concerned is normally aware of.

The new scheme will see the hospital or surgery still informed about a visit, but not when it will happen.

But Monty Graham, chairman of Brecknock and Radnor CHC, told ABM CHC members at its meeting in the Aberavon Beach Hotel, in Port Talbot, that under the scheme members were not to disguise themselves as patients.

Sheila Rano, vice-chairwoman of the Neath Port Talbot local committee of ABM CHC, called into question whether the change towards a mystery shopper check was needed.

She said: "I am particularly interested in the mystery shopper exercise.

"Why was it necessary to introduce that?"

She also queried the ad-hoc nature of the exercise.

But Mr Graham made clear such impromptu visits would have to be carried out in full knowledge of a member's CHC office before they went ahead.

It was also said at the meeting that members of Aneurin Bevan CHC had employed the measure to carry out checks on how many times patients had to call GP surgeries in the area before actually arranging an appointment.

They took to standing outside GP practices with questionnaires after becoming suspicious making appointments was not as easy as it should be.

But they had alerted Aneurin Bevan Health Board first of their plan of action.

Mr Graham said a letter outlining exactly what was expected of public health watchdog members was sent directly to CHC chief officers right across Wales.

"There was concern expressed by CHCs of what is reasonable and what is not reasonable," he added.

"It (the mystery shopper idea) was brought up by a deputy chief officer in North Wales and a letter sent to all chief officers as to what was expected.

"It is not the role of CHCs to promote or present with (medical) conditions.

"There must be a degree of honesty."

He added: "You do not turn up in A&E with a terrible pain — do not pretend to be someone that you are not."

Commenting on the move, Swansea GP Ian Millington said: "GPs are always a little bit anxious about mystery shopper exercises.

"It's not the exercise, it's the information, but it depends on what questions are asked and the interpretation of the information.

"It's easy to go into a busy service and criticise what's going on."

elizabeth.perkins@swwmedia.co.uk