SIR – This has been a shameful year for the Government and the NHS.

Despite all the promises and pledges where we once had community health councils and then patient and public forums (both of which gave some legal muscle to investigating and influencing how the NHS performs at a local level), we now have absolutely nothing.

It will, I am sure, come as a suprise to many that a new so-called consultative body, named LINKs, was supposed to take over after the demise of the forums in April. Albeit one with less muscle.

So far all that has happened is that this vital part of making the NHS accountable to the public is still agonising over just how it should function.

Meeting after meeting has been held at which it has become more and more apparent that both the social care and medical sectors simply cannot get to grips with what needs doing.

Were it not that it is vital for us to have a strong input into how the NHS and care services operate, the whole set up would be dismissed as laughable.

LUKE ALBARIN,

Worcester.