WHAT a farce on the part of South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust was last Monday's so-called consultation meeting.

With around 350 to 400 people in the main body of the Elgar Suite at the Abbey Hotel, at least 250 more people were summarily dismissed from the room for health and safety reasons. The attendance estimates should have been more accurately researched with experience gleaned from other recent Malvern meetings.

Surely the 'primary care' is to ensure that those wishing to voice their feelings (and they are strong ones) are allowed a reasonable opportunity so to do.

One must ask, if the trust cannot research the demand for a public meeting correctly, how on earth can it gauge the requirements of the community for a hospital? This represents a fundamental lack of good management. Where is the accountability factor trust members? Malvern people all provide your salaries.

The trust owns the Seaford Court site, which possesses good bus, car and rail access, proximity to the new dental facilities and a site ready for development. This location should be the only choice.

It needs to be developed and built quickly without the Private Finance Initiative funding that has so ridiculed the development of Worcester Royal Infirmary. The totally inadequate provision for parking evident at the Worcester site must not be repeated in Malvern.

The PFI involvement at WRI, in the form of the three office blocks, has totally denied WRI proper parking. Despite this inclusion this scheme went horrendously over budget. Malvern cannot be allowed to do so.

The choice of the Pickersleigh site is markedly inferior. The adjacent road is much busier than Worcester road. It has dangerous entrances on a very busy corner. This site would deny any additional adjacent parking and off-site parking would clog up the neighbouring residential roads.

Seaford Court, Worcester Road, has to be the preference.

Come on PCT, stop hiding behind your politically-correct mask and get out there and act. Act now, act concisely, act efficiently, act economically and above all with common sense for the best benefit of the community as a whole. Malvern is a five star town, it needs five star facilities. Above all act expediently.

ROBIN ELT, chairman, The Malvern's Experience, Church Street, Great Malvern