A PATIENTS' forum has met with an MP in a bid to fight changes to the way health bodies are monitored.

Lewisham Patient and Public Involvement Forum chairman Jeanette Chattington met with Lewisham West MP Jim Dowd.

They discussed concerns over Government proposals to create Local Involvement Networks (Links).

Currently, the forum scrutinises the way Lewisham Hospital is operated.

Its volunteers inspect the hospital and highlight areas of concern, including cleanliness and waiting times.

The hospital has to formally reply to the findings and act where appropriate within 20 days.

There are more than 400 forums across the country which all have a hospital and Primary Care Trusts to monitor.

But under the Links plan, the forums could be scrapped in favour of wider scrutiny organisations covering a geographical area rather than a particular NHS body.

Links would monitor all care providers within an area, including doctors and social services, and be headed by the council's health scrutiny committee.

Mrs Chattington, 68, chairman of the Lewisham forum for the past three years, said: "The main concern is we will lose our scrutiny rights to inspect the hospital.

"We have got the hospital to improve things such as its cleanliness and we are currently conducting an inquiry into recent long waits in A&E.

"If there is not a group paying specific attention to one particular body, how will they be aware of what's going on?"

Mr Dowd sits on the Government's health select committee, which scrutinises health proposals.

He said: "I will be putting their understandable concerns to ministers within the next fortnight."

"It is not that forums are not doing a good job.

"But they are only looking at a small but significant health provider and Links is an effort to look at all health care providers.

"We need to ensure the time, effort and knowledge of the volunteers is not lost."