BLACKBURN with Darwen health watchdog Sir Bill Taylor chaired the third regional gathering of Healthwatch groups, in Warrington.

About 30 delegates attended, with speakers including Gerard Crofton-Martin, regional Healthwatch director, Jane MacFarlane of Healthwatch England, Department of Health official Gill Moffett and Dr Mike Davis, of NHS England.

Sir Bill, chairman of Blackburn with Darwen Healthwatch, said: “All those who attended had a chance to contribute.

“We had inputs on up-to-date national developments, an interactive session with government officials, a session on annual report writing and a skill swap session where people could offer or seek help in tackling these complex issues.

“We agreed to meet on a quarterly basis around the region to maintain our momentum.”