Stories of medical mistakes break with alarming regularity these days.

From baby deaths at Bristol Royal Infirmary, to the organs of dead children being removed without parental consent in Liverpool, people sometimes feel senior managers run hospitals almost as they please.

It seems now more than ever, patients need an independent organisation in their corner when problems arise.

Last month the Government unveiled its NHS National Plan which promised drastic changes to the health service with more doctors and nurses and shorter waiting times.

A surprising part of the plan was the abolition of the patient's watchdogs, the Community Health Councils (CHCs).

The CHCs themselves were particularly shocked by the decision, and said it came despite Government assurances they had a strong future in the NHS.

Established in 1974 to give greater prominence to patients' views, CHCs will be scrapped in 2002. They fear patients will be the overall losers.

CHCs will be replaced by various patient liaison services and new measures to make life easier for patients. But CHCs say the level of scrutiny will not be the same.

John Faulds, chief officer of Eastbourne, Seaford and Wealden CHC, said: "The reason for setting up CHCs was the need for an independent voice outside the NHS.

"My fear is the new proposals won't demonstrate that independence."

Eastbourne is a strong example of a CHC lobbying for change. The watchdog consistently raised concerns over staff shortages at Eastbourne District General Hospital.

Problems were particularly highlighted by the deaths last year of patients Pauline Freeman, who bled to death after a routine hysterectomy in 1998, and Marjorie Dyer, who died after staff mixed up her medical notes and failed to revive her.

When the South East division of the NHS ordered a top level inquiry into nursing care at the hospital in May 1999, the CHC had been warning of the problems for two years.

After the review's scathing findings in October 1999, the CHC spoke out about the "closed-shop" attitude of former hospital chief executive Clive Uren and denial of access to information about quality of care.

In Sussex Mid Downs CHC helped refer plans to downgrade Crawley Hospital's accident and emergency department to Health Secretary Alan Milburn, reflecting vehement local opposition to the move.

Brighton, Hove and Lewes CHC is involved in reviews of non-urgent ambulance transport and possible changes to hospitals in East and Mid Sussex.

Mr Faulds said there was great scope for CHCs to be developed within the National Plan, instead of being phased out.

He said: "We thought our roles would be strengthened. I worry the Government is throwing away some of the benefits of CHCs."

The National Plan promises a new patient's champion. By 2002 a Patient Advocacy and Liaison Service (PALS) will be established in every health trust with an annual national budget of £10 million.

Patient advocates will act as independent mediators to handle patient and family concerns with direct access to the chief executive and power to negotiate immediate solutions.

Next year a new NHS Charter will replace the current Patients' Charter. As part of the plan patients and carers will be asked for their views on the service and local government will have the power to scrutinise the NHS.

There is clearly a whole-hearted commitment to accountability and patients' welfare but CHCs, who contribute £7.9 million worth of free labour to the NHS, fear the National Plan will fragment what has existed as a successful, unified service.

But Brighton Health Care NHS Trust, which runs four hospitals, was praised in the National Plan for work it has done with its PALS. Since 1994 the number of patients contacting the patients' advocate has increased from 98 each year to more than 1,000.

The Brighton work has also resulted in changes to training, care delivery and the way hospitals in the town deal with sensitive issues.

Brighton Health Care chief executive Stuart Welling said changes to CHCs had to be viewed within the overall ten-year layout of the National Plan, which ultimately aimed to improve quality of care in the first place.

He said one advantage of patients' advocates was they were regularly on hospital sites with full access to staff and medical departments.

Mr Welling said: "Here the advocate has been able to greatly-enhance patients' positions within the hospital.

"Hospital can be a very frightening experience. It is about being the voice of the individual within a system which sometimes can be very daunting."

But that doesn't relieve the disappointment of CHCs with what they perceive as an undervaluing of 26 years of hard work.

Mid Downs CHC chairman Bryan Jones said: "It is very sad to think the CHC's considerable collective experience, expertise and local links with the community will be lost to the public we serve."