Two cabinet ministers have written to councils and health bodies urging them to hold local consultations on the forthcoming health and social care white paper.
Health secretary Patricia Hewitt and David Miliband, minister for communities and local government, said the outcomes of local consultations would "feed into development of policy for the white paper".
The Department of Health is holding several regional consultation events on the white paper and a national conference on 29 October.
The white paper is expected by the end of the year although the DH has announced no formal timetable for its publication.
