HEALTH service complaint procedures were a nightmare which never seemed to reach a conclusion, patient watchdogs were told.

Burnley Community Health Council member Tony Harrison said the Government had promised for years to overhaul the system, but nothing had been done and it remained a nightmare for both patients and staff.

And his views won support from Brian Foster chairman of Burnley Health Care Trust who promised the system for dealing with complaints locally would be streamlined.

He told the health council's annual meeting in Nelson town hall the complaints system was overburdened and sometimes became bogged down. Dissatisfaction over the time taken to solve complaints led to new complaints, masking the point of the original complaint.

"We are looking at the system and looking to streamlining it so we don't take so long dealing with complaints," he said.

"There are complaints which seem almost insoluble and go on and on, using valuable time and resources which would be better used providing services," he added. The meeting heard the CHC received 86 patient complaints over the past year -- four down on the previous 12 months.

Chairman Frank Clifford said 53 complaints related to services provided by the trust -- nearly 20 per cent down on last year's total.

"It is a clear sign that things are improving," he said.

The statistics showed 20 complaints involved GPs and three dental services.