PETER Pike has told the Government to drop plans to scrap community health councils and improve other such bodies to the standards of his own.

The Burnley MP tackled Health Secretary Alan Milburn on the issue, after the Cabinet Minister rejected calls to save the CHCs.

Mr Milburn said they were no longer effective as the voice of patients, but Labour back bencher Mr Pike disagreed and asked him: "Do you recognise that the good Community Health Council does an excellent job, that all CHCs should be brought up to that better standard and that he should tread warily before he changes something that has widespread support throughout the country?"

Mr Milburn replied: "I am sure that there are very good CHCs and there is no doubt that CHCs have played an important role in the National Health Service during the past 25 or 30 years, but I genuinely think that if you were to ask most members of the public whether they had heard of their CHC -- let alone contacted it -- you would find that the answer would be a resounding no."

Mr Milburn said the Government was currently consulting on new arrangements to replace CHCs and increase patients' influences and representation in the health service.

After the exchanges, during health questions in the Commons, Mr Pike said: "I am not in favour of the changes. I think Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale CHC has done an excellent job. I think other CHCs should be brought up to that standard.

"I am not convinced at the moment of the case to scrap CHCs and I shall ensure that there is a lively debate about this issue."