District councils are set to win new powers to scrutinise the work of local hospitals and GPs under the health and social care bill.

The legislation carries forward proposals in the NHS plan to greatly strengthen local government's role in examining the health service.

The bill originally made no mention of the role of district councils in the scrutiny process, and officials at the local government association (LGA) feared this would make it difficult or impossible for county councils to pass on scrutiny responsibilities to politicians in lower-tier authorities.

But government amendments to the bill, now in its committee stage, will allow districts to take on delegated scrutiny powers from county councils, form joint committees with them or have district councillors co-opted onto a county scrutiny panel.

The health secretary, Alan Milburn, is also likely to gain new powers to force reluctant counties to cooperate.

A spokeswoman for the LGA welcomed the move: "It seems mad to exclude districts when they have a contribution to make to this vital debate."

Although the amendment raises the possibility of NHS trust chief executives facing a grilling from district councillors, it is much more likely that the powers will be used to call in GPs and officials from local primary care groups and trusts.

The powers could be used to involve district councils in broader decisions, such as hospital closures that have a direct impact on the district's area.

Both the LGA and the NHS confederation backed the move. A joint discussion paper from the two organisations said: "District councils must also have a role in this process They also provide housing, leisure and environmental service which have a major impact on local health."