PATIENT care at the Fylde Coast's hospitals is to be reviewed over the next few months by an independent body, it has been announced.

An assessment known as a clinical governance review will be carried out by the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI), which helps the NHS monitor and improve patient care.

A review team, including a doctor, nurse, NHS manager and lay person, will look at the provision, management and quality of services at hospitals including Blackpool Victoria, Wesham Hospital Rehabilitation Unit and Devonshire Road Hospital, Blackpool.

Patients and local organisations will be able to put forward their views at meetings in Fleetwood on February 3, Blackpool on February 4 and Lytham St Annes on February 5. And the CHI will also analyse information and talk to staff as part of the inspection -- expected to take around 17 weeks to complete.

It is the first time the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust, formed less than two years ago, has been assessed. Every NHS trust in England and Wales will eventually be reviewed.

Roy Male, chief executive of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "While we have made significant progress to date we know that we also have areas that we need to work on.

"We are really looking forward to this review and see it as a development opportunity and a chance for us to improve and learn from other health experts and external advisers."

Dame Deidre Hine, CHI chairman, added: "It has been obvious for some years that standards of care within the NHS vary enormously across England and Wales.

"What we plan to do is, effectively, to give the health service a health check.

"But we are not just looking for weakness or failure, we will also highlight good practice and then disseminate it throughout the NHS.

"The patient's experience of care lies at the heart of CHI's work."

Patients and other interested parties can comment or arrange to attend one of the Fylde Coast meetings by calling CHI on 0845 601 301 (charged at local rate) quoting reference 'Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust'.

Comments can also be emailed to yourviews@chi.nhs.uk