Airedale Community Health Council is facing abolition.

After over a quarter of a century of acting as the "patient's friend" and scrutinising the policies of the health authorities and trust and primary care groups, the CHC is to be abolished as part of the new national plan for the NHS.

Peter Putwain, chairman of Airedale CHC for the past four years, says: "The Government wants to set up a hospital-based Patient Advocacy and Liaison Service in all general hospitals, using the resources of the present CHCs to fund the new service.

"The Government believes that in setting up this new service it will be able to better empower patients and they will be able to voice their complaints and concerns about services more easily. The scrutiny role of the CHC will be handed over to local authorities."

Mr Putwain, who was an executive member of the Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales, says: "This new organisation will not replace the work of the community health councils and many patients will not be able to access the services which the present CHC system provides.

"Airedale CHC provides a complaints service with support for individual patients and an advocacy service for patients residing within the Bradford Metropolitan District. These services are available to patients both in hospital and living in the community. Such services could be lost with the abolition of the CHCs."

Mr Putwain adds: "I think that the Government was not properly advised about the work of the CHCs and the comprehensive way in which they undertake their duties.

"I also think that the way in which the new service is being set up is flawed and it will not provide the services that patients need in the independent and comprehensive way patients expect."