Plans to scrap Pembrokeshire's Community Health Council (CHC) has been met with dismay by Conservative AM Paul Davies.

Health Minister Edwina Hart has announced plans to merge Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire's CHCs into one larger organisation.

This goes directly against what she told Mr Davies just seven months ago.

"Following the merger of the health trusts I was concerned that the same might happen with the CHCs and asked the minister if there were any plans to merge them.

"She told me in the Senedd on 9 July; "There is no question of merging community health councils." She even added that with larger health authorities, localism would have to be enhanced.

"And yet just seven months on we are told of plans to merge all three of the CHCs in West Wales."

The Welsh Assembly Government plans to dissolve the 19 existing CHCs and replace them with seven new ones which will cover the same areas as the proposed seven new Local Health Bodies.

The new West Wales CHC would then set up three area associations (one for each county) which would form the CHC committee and advise on local issues.
The plans are due to come into effect on 1st October 2009. Mr Davies is now preparing his submission to the consultation process.

"In all likelihood these area associations will have diluted power and the larger organisation will be calling the shots," he said.

"Pembrokeshire CHC does a fantastic job of representing patients in the county and should be left alone to get on with the job. Once again yet another layer of unnecessary bureaucracy is being introduced."