A SUPPORT group for patients treated at Mount Vernon's cleft lip and palate unit are still angry with NHS bosses for what they view as poor consultation on radical changes to the service.

The Government plans to axe 42 of the UK's 57 units for children born with cleft lip and/or palate to create between eight and 15 centres of excellence where, health bosses argue, surgeons will see more patients to build on expertise.

It has been proposed that those who attend Mount Vernon Hospital in Northwood should go to Great Ormond Street in London, linked with Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.

Health authorities have been consulting on how to implement these proposals on behalf of the regional offices of the NHS Executive - West Hertfordshire's ended on Monday.

The Mount Vernon branch of the Cleft Lip and Palate Association (CLAPA) presented a 3,500-signature petition to the Department of Health in June, calling for 'fair' consultation.

But despite a public meeting held at the YMCA in Charter Place, Watford, on Thursday, July 20, it is still unhappy.

Mrs Sue Baillie, on the group's committee, said more public meetings should have been held.

She said: 'I'm absolutely livid. We were only offered health authority board meetings to discuss it, which we believe are not suitable.

'Last month's meeting was finally arranged but we spent so much time discussing why our group wasn't consulted that there was little time to question the proposals in detail.

'I feel if the proposals were robust they would be more prepared to hold them up to public scrutiny - they have failed to convince us patients will receive better care.'

Mr Barrie Taylor, South West Hertfordshire Community Health Council's chief officer, agreed.

He said: 'The problem is the regional offices are so detached from the public they don't know how to consult at a local level.

'They consulted with the national CLAPA but did not check that local groups had been included.'

He added: 'We understand the reasons for the proposals but there are serious issues about where the out-reach centres will be, which haven't been addressed yet.

'These patients often need care over their life time so how this is organised is essential.'

Mr Pete Saggers, head of specialised commissioning for the NHS Executive's eastern office, under which west Hertfordshire comes, said consultation was complicated because it was a national issue, but felt it had been sufficient.

He said: 'It's particularly complex in Mount Vernon's case because it is based in the London Region and comes under Hillingdon Health Authority but draws patients from surrounding areas such as West Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.'

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'The London consultation hasn't ended yet so there is more time for users to put across views and we have also given CLAPA Mount Vernon more time to send us a written response to the proposals.

'Consideration of the out-reach centres will be done with full consultation.'

Eastern region are due to make a decision on the specialist centres in September.