ONE of the most senior figures in the region's health service has spoken out about the abolition of health watchdogs.

Ken Jarrold, chief executive of County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority, told the last meeting of Darlington and Teesdale Community Health Council: "I think the government has made the wrong decision."

Mr Jarrold, formerly a senior official in the Department of Health, said he "regretted" the abolition of the watchdog bodies and said he was "very concerned" about the way the hand over to the successor bodies had been implemented.

The chief executive said he would be less concerned if the new bodies were already "up and running" before the handover on December 1. Mr Jarrold also regretted that the "wealth of experience" in CHCs could not be shared with the successor bodies.

In less than a month's time 28 community health councils in the region will cease to exist after nearly 30 years of service to the community. They will be replaced with a complex system of interlocking organisations.

Mr Jarrold's concerns were echoed by members of the Darlington and Teesdale CHC.

Coun Mary Mitchell, from Teesdale District Council, said: "People are worried that we won't be there. They are asking me where are we going to go? Where are we going to take our concerns?"

Coun Mitchell described the replacement of CHCs with a multi-tiered organisation including patient forums, patient advisory liaison services and independent conciliation and arbitration services as "divide and conquer."

Another CHC member, Mr Alan Charlton, said in some cases one watchdog body was being replaced with nine organisations.

Graham Girvan, the former Darlington CHC chief officer who has been managing the transfer to the new system throughout the region, said one of the "revolutionary" aspects of the new system was the decision to give local councils new powers to summon senior health bosses if problems arose.

Mr Girvan said he wanted to pass on thanks and congratulations to CHC members and staff on behalf of the Department of Health.

From December 1 complaints will be handled by patient advisory liaison services (PALS) in each individual NHS trust. Under the new arrangements, patients who still had concerns in the North-East should contact the Independent Conciliation and Arbitration Service run by the Citizens Advice Bureau on 0845 1203732.