The Liberal Democrats today condemn the government's medical evaluation agency for its "window dressing" attempts to involve the public in the key debates.

Last year the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) announced that it was establishing a Citizens' Council to advise on social, ethical or moral questions arising from its work on establishing clinical guidelines on "best practice".

NICE acknowledges that communicating effectively with and involving patients - and the wider public - is one of its "major challenges".

And now the NHS body is asking 30 people with "old-fashioned common sense" to join the council.

Andrew Dillon, chief executive of Nice, said: "We have the best technical experts we can find to give us advice and we make sure that NHS professionals and patients have their say, now we want to add the voices of the public."

The council will meet twice a year for three consecutive days and members will be paid £150 a day.

But Lib Dem health spokesman Dr Evan Harris says the Citizens' Council idea will fail to create any real accountability.

"While we need lots more public accountability in treatment rationing decisions, this is no such thing. It is a patronizing fig leaf," he said

"NICE is there to make hard-headed evaluations based on scientific data of clinical and cost effectiveness of treatments. They should then submit those scientific findings to the government who should be accountable through the ballot box for the rationing decisions that follow."

Harris said the government was leaving healthcare rationing decisions in the hands of the scientists, rather than taking responsibility itself.

He added: "NICE are now simply trying to take shelter behind an unaccountable group of unelected public front men. Public accountability for the rationing of healthcare is derived from elected politicians making decisions based on the evidence, not by a condescending, sham 'Citizens Jury'."