THE new chairman of Kidderminster and District Community Health Council has called on the Government to compromise over its plans to abolish CHCs. Pauline Davis, back in the CHC chair, launches the updated leaflet for the elderly.

Pauline Davis, who served as chairman from September 1997 to March 2000, said: "We hope it won't be the end for Kidderminster CHC.

"We hope the Government will listen to what the House of Lords decided and we will be transformed into Patients Councils. We hope we will be enhanced.

"We do need some reform - national standards for CHCs - and we need new powers to be able to go into all NHS facilities."

The Government's Health and Social Care Bill, which seeks to abolish CHCs and replace them with Patients Forums, will now go back to the House of Commons.

Mrs Davis takes over from Flora Wright who has become a non-executive member of the Wyre Forest Primary Care Trust.

One of her first jobs after moving back into her chairman's role was to launch the CHC's updated directory of services for older people within the Wyre Forest area.

It is free and available from outlets including GP surgeries, libraries, Age Concern and the Citizens Advice Bureau.