Furious Hounslow health campaigners claim delays in setting up the new LINk scrutiny panel could be putting patients at risk.

Former members of an independent watchdog argue the system which replaced it is still not working nearly eight months since being set up by the council.

Local Involvement Networks (LINk) were introduced last spring in place of Patient & Public Involvement Forums (PPIF) across the country. They were supposed to give residents a greater say about the provision of local health and social care services.

But critics claim Hounslow LINk, which was due to meet for the second time on Wednesday this week, is still struggling to recruit members for its steering group.

John Murphy, former vice-chairman of Hounslow PCT PPIF, said the lack of progress had left patients without an independent voice.

"The number of deaths caused by hospital mistakes has risen 60 per cent nationally in the last two years," he told the Chronicle. "But all our local LINks organisation can do is to fumble forming steering groups and holding cosy little meetings with the NHS management who are responsible for this slaughter."

Jean Doherty, ex-chairwoman of West Middlesex Hospital PPIF, complained about her and other forum members being barred from the LINk when it was set up.

She told the Chronicle this week how her worst fears had been recognised. "Hounslow Council made a conscious decision to exclude ex-forum members, who have given a lot of time and energy over the years trying to make a difference," she said. "That might explain why, nearly a year later, they're still struggling to appoint people to the steering group."

Ms Doherty also accused the Government of scrapping the old forums because they were doing their job too well. "It's my firm belief that forums like ours had become a real thorn in the side of the powers that be, and that's why we had to go," she added.

A council spokeswoman said LINk was very different from the old forums because it included social care and enabled members to look at the 'bigger picture'.

However, she said the transitional board still included a number of ex-PPIF members and nobody had been prevented from applying to be part of the new set-up.

She added that the group was keeping to the timetable set by its transitional board last July and  pointed out that at least 60 people had attended the last meeting in October.