‘If you are going to spend this much on patient involvement, then you ought to make sure you get it right; but there is a widespread worry that the government is replacing an effective, independent local Watchdog, with a cumbersome, fragmented and ineffective system.

‘The question is: are the public getting value for money? Public money might better have been used to build on the 25 years worth of experience and goodwill that exists with CHCs - instead the government looks set on abolishing them.’

‘What is specifically missing from the government’s proposals is an independent,

community-led, local body that could pull together all the disparate elements of the new system, act as a powerful voice for the public in the NHS, and provide a convenient one-stop-shop for patients who need help with a complaint or want to raise an issue of concern.

‘Above all we need a system capable of enjoying public confidence. Scrutiny of the NHS should not be a political football. Our aim should be to arrive at a model that enjoys the full support of all those concerned about the future of patient and public representation.’