Welsh Conservatives have attacked the Cardiff assembly's "part time" scrutiny of Rhodri Morgan's NHS policies.

The attack came as the party revealed that the assembly's health and social services committee is due to meet just three times next term.

Criticising the plans, Tory assembly member David Melding said more should be done to monitor the policies being carried out by the Morgan and his team of ministers.

The party said that despite "mounting problems within the Welsh NHS" there would be an 84 day gap between the last meeting of the summer term and the first in the autumn.

The schedule was confirmed in the timetable for the autumn/winter term, which will be voted on by AMs before the start of the summer recess.

"It is truly disturbing that the National Assembly is not able to work to anything like full capacity because of a cut in the number of committee slots," said Melding, who chairs the health committee.

"It was telling that the Richard Commission noted that during its first term the Scottish parliament sat for half as much time again as the Welsh assembly.

"At the moment we are paying full price for a part time assembly. That is not good enough if we really want to work for the people of Wales and improve public services.

"There are many pressing concerns in the Welsh health service that require our attention. We should be meeting every two weeks to deal with them."