A HEALTH watchdog is to vote on whether to become a charity in case the county council slashes £100,000 from its budget.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire has warned it will not be able to carry out its role as the county’s only independent scrutiniser of health and social care if the proposed cuts are imposed.

Oxfordshire County Council has announced £292m of cuts since 2011, but needs to save another £50m by 2020, including axing £100,000 from Healthwatch.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire chairman Eddie Duller OBE told the county’s joint health overview and scrutiny committee on Thursday: “We are looking to change the nature of our company to become a charity so we can have some opportunity of raising some money in another way rather than the county council.

“Hopefully we will in the long term become completely independent, which would be very good for the organisation and very good for the health and social care service in Oxfordshire.”

Joint health overview and scrutiny committee chairwoman Yvonne Constance OBE said: “It is regrettable that all your funding comes from Oxfordshire council.”

Healthwatch Oxfordshire’s board will be meeting to decide whether to apply for charitable status at Henley Town Hall on Tuesday.

Mr Duller said if they decide to go ahead it would take at least six months.

Chief executive Rachel Coney said a cut of £100,000 would cripple the organisation’s ability to stand up for patients and fight to improve services.

Responding to the proposed cut she said it would mean losing a third of its income and reduce its ability to listen to the views of patients and work with health leaders to improve care.

She warned that Healthwatch Oxfordshire would have to halve the time it spends speaking to the public, and would not be able to carry out surveys, work with charities and arrange events.

The organisation is made of of a team of voluntary directors including Mr Duller, as well as around 30 volunteers who work with patients and the public.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire is urging people to help it protect its services by contacting their MPs and county councillors or commenting on the council’s proposals.

Visit oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/budget-savings-options-201617 or email councillor Judith Heathcoat, Cabinet member for Adult Social Care at judith.heathcoat@oxfordshire.gov.uk