CORNWALL councillors expressed concerns over access to health services in East Cornwall as it emerged a slew of outpatient clinics have disappeared from Liskeard and Launceston's hospitals over the past year.

Councillor Andrew Long exposed the loss of services at a Callington Town Council meeting after the information was found in minutes of a document given to Cornwall Council's health scrutiny committee.

"I was concerned firstly that information like this appeared to be hidden with a myriad of other paperwork and secondly that these decisions have been made with little or no wider publicity," he said.

"In the past year we have lost ear, nose and throat; rheumatology, dermatology, orthopaedics, respiratory and minor dermatology clinics from the Liskeard Hospital," he said.

"This is a retrograde step and appears to run counter to the NHS desire to bring services closer to home."

Mr Long said he would be writing to the NHS asking for an urgent meeting in order to get an explanation of this and a similar move at Launceston Hospital which he said would have a combined detrimental effect on local people.

He was supported by Callington resident Brian Riley who said public transport was also being cut back, making it hard for Cornish people to reach Derriford Hospital.

"I think they must be joking," he said.

"Liskeard is a brilliant facility for all the surrounding villages and Launceston, although it's showing signs of age, service is second to none."

Councillor Alex Folkes, who represents Launceston Central on Cornwall Council, said he wanted an NHS which provided high-quality services accessible to people in their local hospitals wherever possible.

"Patients from this area are shunted around Cornwall in order to meet targets rather than for their convenience," he said. "We're calling on the Primary Care Trust to guarantee the current clinics at Launceston Hospital and to tell us what other services they are putting in to our local facility."

Armand Toms, who represents East Looe and St Martin's on Cornwall Council and is portfolio holder for adult care and support, said he found out about the service losses during a presentation by the chief executive of Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT). He said it was 45 miles from Looe to the Royal Cornwall Hospital and 18 miles to Derriford, so the town looked to Plymouth for its services.

"If they're being withdrawn and provided by RCHT I wonder where residents will go for follow-up appointments," he said.

Amanda Fisk, director of commissioning at the PCT, said: "The cancellation of clinics at Liskeard and Launceston hospitals is not a result of a commissioning decision.

"These cancellations have been the result of a number of factors and we're working with the East Cornwall Clinical Commissioning Group to reinstate them."