WINCHESTER and Central Hampshire Community Health Council (CHC) held its annual meeting and last public meeting on Monday.

CHCs have been the patients watchdog body in the NHS for 29 years, but they are to be abolished on 1 September to make way for new patient and public involvement forums which are set to be established early in the New Year.

In presenting the draft annual report to the meeting, chairman Lyn-da Banister praised members for their work. She said: "Threat of abolition has not stopped us being busy and effective. It is a credit to members that so much has been achieved."

The chief executive of Mid Hampshire Primary Care Trust referred to improvements in services including cardiac rehabilitation in Andover.