I REFER to the recent sad death of a Kidderminster man while waiting for the nearest ambulance to come from Worcester.
Your admirable correspondents David and Meryl Jones and Mr North (Letters, July 18), correctly allocate the real cause to the removal of A and E services from Kidderminster Hospital by the now defunct Worcestershire Health Authority.
While that is undoubtedly the case, in no way should any blame be directed at ambulance personnel. They are not responsible for the extra time-consuming miles now taking ambulances out of service for new cases for much longer.
What was taken away by Mr Musgrove and his henchmen cannot perhaps be restored in total, yet, but with 96,000 people within four miles of Kidderminster Hospital to cater for, surely the new Acute Hospitals Trust chairman, Michael O'Riordan, and Peter Forrester, of the Primary Care Trust, can use their new powers and resources to provide doctor-led emergency services at Kidderminster, to deal at least with stabilisation and assessment in Kidderminster, before perhaps sending on fewer, but more reassured, casualties for more acute services.
Such a swift and progressive development would reassure Wyre Forest and Shropshire people, while taking pressure off other facilities in the whole of Worcestershire.
Everyone would benefit, more ambulances would be more available more often, and many fewer bereaved people would be left pondering what might have been.
ELIZABETH DAVIES
Health Concern,
Wyre Forest District
Council leader,
Habberley Road, Wribbenhall
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