A BURNLEY councillor has been appointed chairman of Lancashire County Council's Health Equalities Committee.

County Councillor Marcus Johnstone, who represents Padiham and the West of Burnley, hopes the role will help him address inequalities in health care. The committee monitors the work of the National Health Service throughout Lancashire.

It is one of four 'super committees' recently set up by the county council to replace their existing structure. The others are Internal, External and Best Value.

Coun Johnstone said: "It's a really big job and I am delighted to have been asked to do it at a time when the NHS is again such an important issue.

"For far too long elected representatives have had no say over the way the NHS operates and I am glad there will be more accountability.

"I am hoping to work in partnership with the existing appointed NHS members and will be putting the needs of patients at the centre of my agenda."

The Health Equalities Committee will comprise 12 county council members and 12 district councillors. Each of the county's 12 districts will be represented.

Deputy chairman is another Burnley councillor -- Irene Roberts, who represents Burnley South West.

The committee will address what they perceive as inequalities in health service provision.

Coun Johnstone explained: "A child born in an inner urban area of a town like Burnley can expect to live seven or eight years less than a child born just a few miles away in a more affluent area.

"That's a stain on our society and is why the committee is called Health Equalities. Closing the health equality gap is one of our priorities."

The committee will also look at how the region would be affected by a new specialist NHS mental health trust and plans to replace Burnley's acute NHS Trust with a single trust to cover the whole of East Lancashire.

It meets for the first time later this month.