Campaigners have reacted angrily to the announcement that the government is to push ahead with plans to scrap Community Health Councils (CHCs).

They say the new system will not effectively represent patients, and will suffer from a lack of funds.

Health Minister David Lammy announced on Friday that CHCs will be abolished on 1 December.

This is about a new, different, better way of supporting patients Department of Health spokesman

They will be replaced with Patients' Forums within each NHS and primary care trust which will oversee independent complaints advocacy services.

National standards will be monitored by a Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH) which started work on 1 January.

Mr Lammy said he was confident the commission would deliver "an inclusive and effective patient and public involvement system".

He said: "The creation of the commission signals a key shift in the balance of power in the NHS, ensuring national standards are controlled locally, giving the public real influence and power to modernise their NHS."

He called on CHC staff and members to continue to play a role in the NHS.

Opposition

However, the Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales (ASCHEW) expressed shock and dismay about the proposals.

The association has fought a long campaign against plans to scrap CHCs, and has won support from many quarters.

It says the new system will be massively under funded, and ineffective.

It also argues that the lack of overlap between CHCs and their replacements will leave the public without adequate representation for months.

Malcolm Alexander, ACHCEW director, said: "This is the worst possible news.

"The whole system is going to be enormously under funded.

"There is to be no effective overlap with CHCs, thus leaving patients and the public without proper representation for six months.

"And, perhaps worst of all, it appears that the government have reneged on their commitment to have an independent one-stop-shop in the community that you can turn to if you have a problem with your local health service.

"It would be disastrous to create a situation, in which if you have a problem with your local health service the people who you have to see in the first instance are employed by the same trust you may be making a complaint against."

The Department of Health hit back at those claims. A spokesman said: "We spent �23m on CHCs last year and will be spending significantly more than this on the commission and PPI across the NHS.

"There will be no six month gap. This is not just about replacing CHC's. This is about a new, different, better way of supporting patients."

Political response

Shadow health secretary Liam Fox accused the government of deception over its plans.

It had reneged on its promise to ensure that all functions of CHCs would be picked up in the new system, he said. How could this be possible when there would be a six-month gap between the abolition of CHCs and the establishment of patient forums?

"Serious doubts surround the creation of the Independent Complaints Advocacy Services.

"Worst of all, there is no obligation whatever on local authorities to establish Overview and Scrutiny Committees, the means ministers claimed would ensure accountability."

Dr Evan Harris, Liberal Democrat health spokesman, said the announcement was long overdue.

"CHCs have had to operate in limbo over the last year, unable to retain staff and volunteer members who knew their jobs would be axed at some point."

However, he said 600 Patients' Forums would be expected to cope with the same number of staff as the 200 CHCs and a barely-increased budget.

"Replacing quality with quantity is not the answer. Patients need to know that the new system is workable and dependable."