THE area's health watchdog body is anticipating its last ever annual meeting will take place in Andover on Monday.

If the government's proposals for public and patient involvement in the NHS are passed by the House of Commons this summer, it will be the last annual meeting of Winchester and Central Hampshire Community Health Council.

The NHS Reform and Health Care Professions Bill proposes to replace CHCs with a number of new bodies including patients' forums and at this meeting, members of the CHC and the public will have an opportunity to hear about the progress of the bill which has recently passed from the House of Lords to the Commons for its third reading.

A guest speaker at the meeting in the Guildhall will be Martin Barkley, chief executive of West Hampshire Trust who will talk about the possible local implications of the trust's proposals to change adult mental health rehabilitation services.

Doctor Simon Tanner, director of public health for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight new Health Authority will also be a guest speaker and will update the meeting on the progress of proposals regarding breast screening services which are soon to be the subject of formal consultation.

Members will also consider proposals to re-configure cleft lip and palate services across the region, although it is not intended to change the arrangements for patients in this area who currently travel for surgery to Salisbury, which is to become a more specialist centre.

The council will also consider the work plan and agree priorities for the year ahead as well as receiving draft annual reports for the year 2001/2.

The meeting will take place in the upper meeting room of Andover Guildhall at 7.30pm on Monday 27 May and the CHC hopes as many members of the public as possible will go along to hear what the CHC has been doing on their behalf within the NHS locally.