JEAN Mansley is stepping down from South West Surrey Community Health Council after three years as its chairman.

Mrs Mansley, who joined the CHC in 1995, was vice-chairman from 1997 to 1998.

During her last year as chairman she saw the health watchdog facing abolition under government plans to revamp patient participation in the health service.

While in the chair she was part of the CHC which strongly opposed threatened bed closures at local hospitals including Haslemere.

She last October 's reprieve for Haslemere Hospital community beds "a triumph for public consultation and common sense".

Although planning to remain a member of the CHC for its duration, Mrs Mansley wants to concentrate on her other interests, which as a Waverley borough councillor include her role as planning portfolio holder on the executive committee of Waverley as well as her involvement in the Haslemere- based project to build the new Haslewey community centre.

"It's been an extremely busy job," said Mrs Mansley, "but very interesting and challenging - so much is changing in the structure of the NHS from month to month.

Paying tribute to the members of the CHC, Mrs Mansley: "They are an incredible group of people; they give up so much of their time, voluntarily to do this - simply reading all the papers is almost a full-time job.

And of the new structures originally proposed in the Health and Social Care Bill, which are now on hold, Mrs Mansley said: "It has been very difficult and confusing for CHCs, but we need to remember it is the patients who are the important ones - we have to get it right for them."

Taking over the chair is Guildford borough councillor Patricia Gumbrell, who was elected unopposed, with Dr Hilary Lennox and Dr Noel Mowatt as vice-chairmen.