MP Attacks Emasculation of Patients' Forums

10.08.44am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 2nd Aug 2005

Two years after the government abolished Community Health Councils it is launching a complete reorganisation of the Patient and Public Forums which are supposed to act on the patients' behalf in relation to the Primary Care Trust, the Mental Health Trust and the Trusts for the West Middlesex and Kingston hospitals. The national body overseeing these Forums is being abolished.

Vincent Cable, who was a member of the local Community Health Council before being an MP, said he was "appalled by the emasculation of patient forums. With damaging cuts in mental health services and a financial crisis at the West Middlesex hospital, it is essential that patient's interests are properly and professionally represented. The government got rid of CHCs without thinking through the consequences and how there is a serious gap".