WARRINGTON people have the chance to shake up the National Health Service.

Volunteers are being sought to represent their towns on local health forums. These will feed into a national network of similar forums briefed with being a force for change.

The volunteers will be among more than 4,500 members of the public from across England to join the network of nearly 600 Patient and Public Involvement forums.

Forum members will find out what people in their community think about health locally.

They will give the public influence in all decision making about health in the NHS.

Set up and supported by the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH) the PPI forums will have unprecedented powers to make checks on the standard of health services.

Sharon Grant, chair of the commission said: "The arrival of the forums presents a unique opportunity to put the public at the centre of health, and to reform the whole culture of healthcare.

"We're standing by to receive large numbers of applications from all sections of the community who want to be forum members."

The PPI Forums will come into being on December 1 with the phasing out of the Community Health Councils.

The Commission is also running a major advertising campaign "Make Time For Health" using posters on public transport, in GP surgeries, pharmacies and in community facilities.

People interested should call 08451 207 115 for an application pack, or visit www.maketimeforhealth.org.