Patients in Essex may find it more difficult to complain about their NHS treatment after CHCs, Community Health Councils, are abolished, according to a Chelmsford lawyer who specialises in clinical negligence.
Gillian Gadsby, a partner in the Chelmsford based law firm Gadsby Wicks has warned that replacing CHCs with Patients' Forums may prove less effective for patients who have encountered problems.
She said she fears that NHS patients in Essex may suffer because the county has been particularly well served by its CHCs and by starting from scratch the new system will e throwing away a record of successful advocacy on behalf of local patients.
"The government's idea is to make the NHS more patient focused, which in itself is the right approach, " said Gillian Gadsby.
"But they have gone for a radical approach which has meant throwing away everything and starting again.
"Part of those plans involve the abolition of CHCs, but the new Patients' Forums will be tied more closely to hospitals and may not have the range or independence that we are used to.
"Here is the problem, from our experience. Because CHCs are all locally based and managed by local people there are bound to be differences in their effectiveness across the country.
"But in Essex CHCs have usually proved extremely effective in representing patients' interests and they have served the county very well.
"So the new Patents' Forums have a very hard act to follow."
Published Monday, January 6, 2003
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