The NHS review is due to report next year

Meetings will take place in nine regions and involve about 1,000 people as part of the review led by Sir Ara Darzi, a minister and surgeon.

Ministers say it will set priorities for the next 60 years with key themes being access, quality and safety.

But opponents say the consultation is a "sham" which ministers will ignore.

No-one really has any confidence in consultations nowadays because so often they amount to nothing more than a sham Norman Lamb, of the Lib Dems CBI demands GP 'overhaul'

Sir Ara is said to favour giving patients more choice of primary care services.

It is reported that he has called a meeting of potential providers, including private operators such as Bupa.

He is also set to meet retailers such as Boots, Lloyds Pharmacy and Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group to discuss the establishment of primary care facilities on the high street.

The citizen's jury meetings come as the Confederation of British Industry calls for an overhaul of GP services, saying too many working hours are lost because the system is too inflexible.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson and Sir Ara will attend the event in Birmingham, with eight more scheduled in Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Bristol, Maidstone, Reading, Norwich and York. London has already had its own review.

The juries will meet again later in the year before feeding into the review's final report, which is due next summer. An interim report will also be published in October.

The juries will be asked a series of questions. These include:

• What are your main concerns for health care in the future?
• What are the most important factors in delivering a high quality service?
• What would help demonstrate that the service is safe, effective and high quality?
• What actions would you like to see to tackle the spread of infections in hospitals?
• What are the current barriers to accessing health services?

'Top down'

Mr Johnson said the focus was on identifying key priorities for each region as the government was not seeking a "top down" solution.

"We want to empower people and give them a say on their NHS.

HAVE YOUR SAY Get rid of all these Private Finance Initiatives which are draining away the cash from the system Andrew Dalziel, Aberdeen Send us your comments

"This is a look towards the next 10 years and actually delivering a health care system that is focused completely on patient care that moves away from the structural reorganisations that we have had in the past."

He said the access to GP services and hospital cleanliness were likely to be major themes, although he also acknowledged hospital reconfiguration would feature.

Mr Johnson was also forced to defend the review which comes just two years after previous health secretary Patricia Hewitt carried out a nationwide public consultation involving patient summits.

"This is not just a listen and learn event. It's more engage and involve."

But Lib Dem health spokesman Norman Lamb said: "No-one really has any confidence in consultations nowadays because so often they amount to nothing more than a sham."