Dr Dixon said: 'It will have far greater negative impact on the care of the average vulnerable patient than anything that patient choice might possibly achieve for the positive'.

Last week Healthcare Republic reported that community nursing teams could face job cuts because the DoH is urging PCTs to integrate them with acute trusts.

Speaking at the National Association of Patient Participation South West Conference this week, Dr Dixon will stress the importance of patient involvement in improving the NHS.

He will say: ‘If patients really want to have a handle over what services they get, then they need to be ‘inside' the health service and ensure that they are on the bridge driving these decisions - not pawns in some large political game played by politicians and senior managers simply throwing them choice as a sop.'

Dr Dixon will argue that the NHS could make substantial savings by allowing patients to fully engage and participate in the service and encouraging them to create health in their own community.