She is right. In all public services we need a regulator, an independent scrutineer to detect the problems. It is right that they should carry out surveys of trolley waits, waiting times for out-patients' appointments, dirty kitchens and so on, but the big picture is often gleaned from the individual complaint. It was complaints to the CHC which brought to light events at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, the Alder Hey Children's' Hospital, and the situation of Mr Rodney Ledwood, Harold Shipman and others. That is the point.
Every government are prone to exaggeration of their achievements.
Claims are made and when probed turn out to be somewhat fragile. A complainant needs the confidence that there is an independent body which will not only take up his complaint but will piece complaints together to build a big picture. Finally, it is surprising that the General Medical Council, the BMA and other professional bodies have been championing the retention of CHCs. One might think that they were an irritant to such bodies. That is not so.