Tony Blair and his government are to do away with Community Health Councils (CHCs), the only independent committee within the health service.

As a founder member, and having served on the Brighton CHC for eight years, I am appalled at this idea. What is Mr Blair afraid of - too much being found out in certain departments?

I worked on the main committee and several subcommittees which meant visiting hospitals and elderly people's homes, run by Brighton and Hove Council and other establishments.

I represented the CHC

on the Family Practitioner Committee at Lewes and Chailey Heritage.

Mr Blair, leave this alone and back the members, who work voluntarily - and you can't have too many of them.

-Reg Betts, New Church Road, Hove