HEALTH watchdogs in the county must remain local and independent in any future NHS reorganisation, the Government has been warned.

Watchdogs across North Yorkshire are campaigning to keep patients and public involved with health services at a local level.

The patient and public health involvement forums, which replaced the community health councils, cover Selby and York, Hambleton and Richmondshire, Harrogate and Craven and Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale.

But plans are now being made for a future in which the four health trusts they monitor independently are merged to form a North Yorkshire and York primary care trust (PCT).

The reorganisation could be accompanied by the combining of the four local health watchdogs, which have expressed concerns about the implications for patients.

Forum members have contacted Health Minister Rosie Winterton with a solution to keep health scrutiny local. MPs and other patient groups are being asked to support the move.

Jill Knight, chairwoman of the Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale area forum, said: "The likeliest option for North Yorkshire and York PCTs is an enormous geographical area. Urgent arrangements are needed to keep and build on the current membership strength and commitment of local patient and public forums.

"Members from the region met and agreed that if a central patient forum is set up to cover this new area, it will need to delegate its functions to locality groups to keep the current ethos of a patient-led NHS.''

Councillor John Blackie, chairman of the North Yorkshire County Council scrutiny of health committee, said: "I would give this my strongest support because it is essential to ensure there is still local representation if we move into one big care trust. We regard the forums as being our local ears and eyes. The committee has to monitor health trusts across a large area and we cannot do this without some help from the ground.

"Local people must still be able to scrutinise their local care services.''

The Hambleton and Richmondshire forum holds its next meeting on Monday, May 22, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, at Middleham Key Centre, near Leyburn.