PATIENT representation across East Lancashire has been left "in a mess" over delays in implementing a new system, a user group leader said.

John Amos, who chaired the East Lancashire Hospitals Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) Forum until it was disbanded this week, said preparation for the new Local Involvement Networks (LINks) had been "terribly unsatisfactory".

He said that the public had been left with little say over health issues.

The PPI forums, which ran for four years, were each linked to a single NHS Trust, with groups for primary care, hospitals, mental health care and ambulance services.

The LINKs will instead be based on geographic areas, taking in both NHS care and social care run by councils.

But Lancashire County Council and Blackburn with Darwen council, which will run the networks, have only just struck deals with firms which will administrate them in the transitional period, and no-one yet knows how the meetings will be held, or how people will get involved.

Mr Amos said: "Quite frankly, we have not been told much because the decisions have not been made yet. The whole thing is in a bit of a mess.

"Obviously there were shortcomings with the PPI system, but we had a lot of expertise and success, and instead of building on that, the government has swept it away and decided to start something entirely new.

"The LINks will be taking on an awful lot more with the social care side as well, and you can't know what you need to do with those unless you know what's available and what the quality is - and that means going into the community.

"The whole thing is terribly unsatisfactory and it is going to be very dificult to represent people at the moment, but this is the system we have got and I'm determined not to be beaten."

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said the government had introduced a transition period until September to allow the new system to be organised, and that Black Health Agency had been appointed to set up the LINks.

He said: "An Advisory Board has been established for the interim period including chairs of PPI's, and other representative groups to ensure the process of development for the Local Involvement Networks in Lancashire is established in a way that reflects local perspectives."

Tom Stannard, director of policy for Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council said: "Right now we are finalising a contract with the organisation that will run the Local Involvement Network, and we hope to be announcing more information to the public very soon."