A FORMER headteacher has been named as the new chairman of the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Community Health Council.

Don Pacey, 70, will replace Frank Clifford who left to take up a seat on the board of Burnley Health Care NHS Trust as a non-executive director in February.

Outlining his reasons for joining the patients' watchdog, Mr Pacey said: "I have an absolute belief in the National Health Service. My two sons and two of my grandchildren live in Rossendale, so I would like to see a good strong NHS as they grow up.

"I think there is nothing more important than having a good health service."

Recently representatives of the council travelled to Wetminster to protest against plans to scrap Community Health Councils.

The National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Bill, which includes plans to do away with CHCs, is currently working its way through Parliament.

When it was debated in the House of Commons recently 78 Labour MPs voted for an amendment to form patient councils not dissimilar to the existing CHCs.

Mr Pacey, former head of Alder Grange High School in Rawtenstall, first joined the CHC in 1998. He took over as chairman of the Community Committee and more recently served as deputy to Mr Clifford.

Mr Pacey, of Laneside Road, Haslingden, is looking forward to the challenge of his new role.

He continued: "Frank has a tremendous amount of knowledge which he matched with tremendous energy and commitment.

"Everybody is their own person and I may not be able to match Frank's knowledge initially, but I will match his energy and his commitment."

During his teaching career Mr Pacey, who lives with wife Barbara,69, also held senior teaching posts at Haslingden High School and Haslingden Secondary Modern. He retired from teaching in 1991.