MORE people are needed to join health forums in Swindon.

Bed blocking, casualty performances and chest pain clinics are just a few of the issues that will be examined by the new health watchdogs.

Members of the patients' forum appointed to keep tabs on the Great Western Hospital met last month to determine the matters that need to be examined.

But forum member John Walsh, a retired chartered engineer, of Liden, said he was disappointed with the turnout. "I got up really early to go on local radio and invite people to our public meeting. I wish I'd stayed in bed as not a soul turned up," he said.

"Perhaps I'm rubbish as a salesman but it seems to be a fact of life that people just aren't interested in health matters until they fall ill.

"This is reflected in our forum membership. We have only eight members but need two or three times that if we are to do much good."

Health forums have legal powers and statutory rights to ask their trust for information to improve services around the town.

There are forums for the Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust, Swindon Primary Care Trust, Kennet and North Wilts PCT and Cotswold and Vale PCT.

These are just a handful of the 570 running across the country, launched in December last year. They replaced Community Health Councils, the former first point of call for patients wishing to complain about hospital care.

Mr Walsh, 68, said: "A problem the NHS faces is the availability of hospital beds. Very often, delayed discharges of patients from hospitals mean that new cases cannot be admitted.

"This is a national problem but we want to study the local picture."

Anyone interested in becoming a member of a forum, which cover hospitals, primary care (GPs), mental health, ambulance services and special health trusts, should call 01225 701120 for an information pack.