A new independent health watchdog is to hold its first public meeting next month - and the first item on the agenda will be hospital car parking fees.

The Patient and Public Involvement Forum to Bradford Teaching Hospitals Trust will use its inaugural meeting to canvass views on recent increases in charges at Bradford Royal Infirmary and St Luke's Hospital.

The forum, which replaces the abolished community health councils, will enable Bradford residents to have their say on all matters relating to health services at the city's hospitals.

Colin Sloane, chairman of the forum, said: "The 300 per cent increase in parking charges at Bradford hospitals, I believe, may affect patient recovery times.

"When people are in hospital they want to see their relatives on a regular basis, particularly children. If relatives are finding it difficult because of parking charges that is going to have an effect on the emotional state of the patient and a knock-on effect on their recovery time."

Mr Sloane, 43, of West Bowling, who works at Bradford Cancer Support Centre and is himself a cancer patient, has written to Trust chief executive David Jackson highlighting the forum's concerns. Included in the letter is an example of a mum living on benefits whose two children are often in-patients at the hospital. Since the parking charges were introduced in May her weekly parking costs have increased from £10.50 to £35.

Peter Warwick, a retired local government worker, active in disability issues and also a member of the forum, said: "The increased parking charges will have a detrimental affect on visitors and patients faced by mobility problems."

The forum currently has a dozen members and Mr Sloane said he hoped the public would attend the meeting.

Sharon Grant, chairman of the Comm-ission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health - the organisation which supports all 571 forums across the country, said: "It is highly encouraging that after only six months the forums are already making their presence felt."

A spokesman for Bradford Teaching Hospitals said it was waiting for notification of and an invitation to the meeting.

"If we receive one and are able to attend then obviously we would welcome the opportunity to listen to and respond to questions the forum my have about the quality of hospital services in Bradford," he said.

"This inaugural meeting will allow us to reassure the community of the sympathetic view we take on car parking when patients or visitors need to come to our hospitals on many occasions during a given week or month and the arrangements in place to help them."

The public meeting will be held on Thursday, July 29, at 6pm at Carlisle Business Centre, Carlisle Road, Bradford.