The Commons health select committee is expected to recommend that visiting rights of patients' groups should be restructured, when it publishes its report on patient and public involvement tomorrow.

The Department of Health had proposed that patient groups should give written notice of any proposed visits to acute and primary care trusts, in its plans for patient involvement, A Stronger Local Voice, published last year.

But HSJ understands that the committee will criticise this proposal, and will also call for a more formal organisational structure to be put in place for the new local involvement networks of patients.

Other areas which are believed to be covered in the report include continuity of membership of patient groups, and the independence of those groups.

Government proposals would have the involvement networks funded by their respective local authorities.

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