WE don't believe that Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust and the Community NHS Trust have anything to hide.

But their refusal to allow representatives from the Community Health Council to attend their regular monthly meetings might lead people to think they have.

Both Trusts handle huge amounts of public money and are responsible for vital services. They should ensure that they know exactly what the public wants and expects, and by inviting the CHC to their meetings they might be better informed.

We accept that the Bolton Trusts more than fulfil their legal requirements in the number of public meetings they hold, but we think the CHC is right to seek more than that.

Before the formation of the Trusts, the Bolton Health Authority and Regional Health Authority welcomed the input from CHC members, who were invited to put their opinions before the meetings. We fail to see what has changed.

Some matters, particularly relating to personnel, may need to be discussed in private. But provision can easily be made for that.

Apparently, Trusts elsewhere in the country are happy for CHC members to attend their meetings. Bolton should follow suit.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.