FAMILY doctors from across Wales gather in Gwent tomorrow to discuss their hopes and fears for the NHS.

GP numbers, staff shortages and worries over the restructuring of the service in Wales - focusing on the proposed new Local Health Boards - will be key themes at the British Medical Association Wales' conference of Welsh local medical committees (LMCs).

The three major concerns are summed up in a motion to be put to the conference, at Cwrt Bleddyn Hotel, near Usk, by Bro Taf LMC.

It highlights lack of appropriate funding, shortage of well-trained staff, and a lack of capacity as the three most fundamental problems in the NHS in Wales.

Eleven motions relating to the Local Health Boards, which take over from health authorities in Wales from April 2003, reflect GPs' deep concerns over restructuring. The Assembly-driven chan-ges aim to make health services more focused on local need, but still linked to national targets.

There has been much scepticism over whether the LHBs will be strong enough to deliver change.

Currently GPs provide a big primary care voice on local health groups - sub-committees of Welsh health authorities and from which Local Health Boards will develop, with more responsibilities.

The Gwent LMC will voice particular concern in a conference motion about what it perceives as a weakening of the primary care role on LHBs.

GPs believe that, without a strong role for them, the boards' ability to deliver care in their areas will be seriously reduced.

Gwent's LMC also believes the boards will lack the financial clout to commission services in their patients' best interests, and that the idea of LHB partnerships for commissioning cross-boundary services is "unworkable."

Conference motions also hint at a tension over the inclusion of local councillors. North Wales LMC will ask the conference to deplore the intention of including councillors because of the parochial attitude of many and because it would be another level of political interference.