AIREDALE'S health watchdog which has discussed and deliberated issues concerning patients' health services in the district for almost 30 years held its last meeting this week.

Set up by the Government in May 1974, Airedale Community Health Council became one of the most successful independent health councils in the country.

It has had seven chairmen, three secretaries and chief officers and a backroom of assistants.

New guidelines from the Government have meant all CHCs have been abolished in favour of county, borough and metropolitan scrutiny committees, independent and public groups and patients' forums.

"It is a sad day, but at the same time I am proud to be here at the Airedale Community Health Council's final meeting," said chairman Peter Putwain.

He said that the council had dealt with the concerns and health services affecting patients within the whole district for many years, and that while they had not always agreed with their partner health authority bodies, the overall relationship had been good.

Chief officer John Godward, whose last day with the CHC marked his official retirement, added: "I think we have a record to be proud of. Our CHC was one of the best performing CHCs in the country. Our successes were not patchy, but sustainable.

"We developed purposeful visiting, scrutiny, quality audit systems, complaints systems, Health Action Link reporting and we ran our own Patients' Forum for a short while.

"We have enjoyed the confidence of the health authorities with whom we have worked and we wish our successors well -because if they fail, the patients will fail to get the services they need," he said.

This was a direct message to the groups that will replace the CHCs in the future, of the concerns surrounding the transfer of the physical rehabilitation unit at Skipton Hospital to the new stroke ward at Airedale Hospital.

It was through the continued insistence of Airedale CHC that a public consultation on the future of the unit was launched, although it is due to close "temporarily" on November 21 through lack of staff.

CHC members this week urged the bodies taking over to continue the fight to keep the rehabilitation services in Craven.

"We have this morning produced a robust opposition to the closure of the PRU at Skipton, but for what? The Craven, Harrogate and Rural District PCT and Airedale NHS Trust have ensured that they get their own way by pre-empting the consultation and closing the unit before the period ends," said Mr Godward.

Mr Putwain added: "Skipton PRU was a beacon, second to none and the jewel in the crown."

There will be an interim period before the groups take over the CHC's reins. In the meantime Mr Godward urged patients to accept "nothing but the best" and to air any grievances by writing to the primary care trust and lobby their MP.