Public out in force to back care service

Dozens of concerned residents turned out in force to give their backing to a threatened Mid Wales health council. They are desperate to stop their service from merging.

More than 40 people attended a public meeting in Newtown yesterday in favour of keeping the Montgomeryshire Community Health Council and its Brecon and Radnor counterpart separate groups.

The meeting was called after the Welsh Assembly Government announced it was in the process of carrying out a review on the future of local health councils.

John Howard, Montgomeryshire CHC chief officer, said he called the meeting because the Assembly plans to reduce the number of councils from 19 to seven in the near future, with consultation plans suggesting just one health council for Powys.

Currently, there are separate ones for Montgomeryshire and Brecon and Radnorshire. But the plan came under criticism from politicians and members of the public, who say the councils should remain separate.

Glyn Davies, prospective Conservative parliamentary candidate for Montgomeryshire, said: "I am strongly in favour of keeping the CHCs separate in Mid Wales because they do a fine job as it is.

"Why they want to change a winning formula I don't know. I fear that a merger between the two would lead to a poorer service."

Clive Parry, of Newtown, said: "I think Montgomery- shire should stay separate from Brecon and Radnorshire, because it is nice to have our own identity. When they merged to form the county council it was never the same again."