Consultations being carried out over the future of the NHS in Kent and Medway are "undemocratic and a sham", it's been claimed by campaigners.

The Save Our NHS In Kent (SONIK) group has accused the Clinical Commissioning Groups of Kent and Medway of failing to hold proper consultation meetings over plans for the region’s stroke and other health services.

The group says meetings are not accessible for many people and are "held 'round table' style".

A spokesman for the group said: “To be truly consultative NHS consultation meetings should be in large, accessible venues at times when most people are able to attend.

"But in fact many meetings are held during the day when most people in work can’t come.”

The group is also critical of the format of the consultation meetings, saying: “The meetings should be in a format where NHS officials can be held to account by the public.

"In reality many meetings are held ‘round table’ style.

"This leaves little time for questions and instead divides people up pushing them to answer pre-prepared questions that are designed to ensure that the health authorities’ proposals are endorsed.”

The SONIK group is demanding that consultation events are organised in a public meeting style.

“This means that after presentation of the proposals the rest of the meeting is open for questions and discussion and this is followed by an indicative vote," the spokesman added.

SONIK also claims the consultation meetings aren’t publicised sufficiently, adding: “Proper consultation meetings should be well publicised using media and direct mail — many of the local NHS meetings are barely publicised at all, so that only people ‘in the know’ attend.”

“Overall, these meetings are undemocratic and a sham and are failing to inform.

“SONIK demands that the responsible NHS authorities halt the consultation process until changes are made.”

SONIK is currently seeking legal advice on the way the consultation process is being conducted and will consider mounting a challenge in the courts if the process is not halted.

The NHS in east Kent, however, says it wants views from as many people as possible and will look into scheduling more events if there is sufficient demand.

A statement from NHS in east Kent says: "We are keen to reach as many people as possible to get their views on the proposals and have set up listening events across the county, with at least two in every clinical commissioning group area – one in the daytime and one in the evening – to allow as many people as possible to attend.

"In Thanet, these are taking place on Monday, February 26, from 6.30 until 8.30pm at a large venue at Margate Football Club and on Wednesday, March 7, from 2 until 4pm at Minister village hall.

"If there is sufficient demand, we would be happy to look into scheduling more events within the consultation period, subject to the availability of the doctors who lead the discussions.

"The NHS in Kent and Medway, Bexley in south east London and the High Weald area of East Sussex, launched a public consultation on the future of urgent stroke services in Kent and Medway on Friday 2 February. It will run until midnight on Friday 13 April 2018.

"To take part, people can read the consultation document, participate in public meetings and events, and complete an online or postal questionnaire.

"There will also be specific engagement through focus groups and other work with people whose views are less likely to be heard, and people whose age, ethnicity or other factors puts them at higher risk of a stroke."

The group has also organised a march to save the stroke unit in Margate hospital this Saturday

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It will start from the main entrance to Margate’s QEQM hospital in Ramsgate Road at midday on Saturday, February 24.

Full details of the consultation and listening events can be found on here.