Opening doors to meet the neeeds of the people served.

Does the patient have an effective say in health service decisions that directly affect him? Community health councils have been with us since 1974 but how representative are they and how much influence can they exert on health authorities? Concluding our series on the Royal Commission, author examines these questions and outlines the views of patient organisations and health administrators on the proposal for electing rather than appointing members to AHAs.