THE public will have a voice during a major review of NHS services thanks to an independent group.

The Stakeholder Reference Board (SRB) is made up of representatives from the private, public, voluntary and community sector.

Their mission is to make sure that people have an influence on the review of the county’s health services which was announced at Sixways stadium in Worcester on Friday.

The SRB includes representatives from the Health and Wellbeing Board, Healthwatch, Local Involvement Network, the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the University of Worcester, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, Worcestershire Association of Voluntary Organisations in Community Care and Community First.

It will be chaired by Professor Rod Griffiths, former director of public health for the West Midlands.

He said: “The joint services review is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to organise the county’s health services in a way which will offer patients the highest quality and safest care, and be sustainable for the future.

“To achieve this, it is important that patients and members of the public are given opportunity to give those who are leading the review – our clinicians – their views on services and how they can be improved. “ A series of public meetings have been organised in February to give residents the chance to hear the reasons why the review is being carried out, and how they can have their say. The meetings are being held from 6pm to 7.30pm on: Monday, February 13 – Elgar Room, Council House, Avenue Road, Malvern

Wednesday, February 15 – Council Chamber, Civic Suite, Redditch Borough Council Town Hall, Walter Stanz Square, Redditch Monday, February 20 – Main Hall, Evesham Town Hall, Market Place, Evesham Wednesday, February 22 – Corn Exchange, Kidderminster Town Hall.

Monday, February 27 – Seminar Room, St Richard’s Hospice, Wildwood Drive, Worcester

Wednesday, February 29 – Council Chamber, Burcot Lane, Bromsgrove