HOSPITAL chiefs have launched a "think tank" initiative to encourage more Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale people to attend health meetings.

Burnley health trust has embraced Government guidelines calling for more public involvement at meetings which decide how best care can be provided at hospitals and in the community.

A special trust working group is looking into how to make poorly-attended public meetings of the trust more attractive to the population it serves.

Ideas include moving meetings to public places in various towns which are more accessible to residents and changing the times of meetings to make them more convenient to more people.

Burnley Health Trust has opened meetings to the public for some time and invites people to speak and ask questions of senior executives on health matters.

The next public board meeting will be in the hard-to find committee room in the trust administration unit at Burnley General Hospital at 2pm on Wednesday.

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