The patient watchdogs are due to be replaced by a combination of hospital based Patient Advocacy and Liaison Services (Pals) and patient forums in 2002.

Currently, it costs �23m a year to keep CHCs running across England and Wales.

Figures produced by the Association of Community Health Councils (ACHCEW) suggest that the reforms will leave the government heavily out of pocket.

The association is already insisting that patients will receive a lesser service from the new set-up.

The figures, reports Health Service Journal, add up to a total of �114m for the new services by 2004/5.

Even the Pals on their own will absorb the entire CHC budget and require an extra �10m on top.

Then comes the funding for patient forums - estimated at �45m, and extra costs for health authorities to pay for their new responsibility of scrutiny.

ACHCEW director Donna Covey said: "If you are going to spend this much on patient involvement, then you ought to make sure you get it right.

'Cumbersome watchdog'

"But the worry across the health community is that the government is replacing an effective independent watchdog with a cumbersome and ineffective system, lacking in statutory powers and independence."

The association wanted to take the government to judicial review over what it claimed was a lack of consultation before the decision to abolish CHCs.