WITH all due respect to Carol Warren's opinion, expressed in last week's Shuttle, is it any wonder that Health Concern view the changes in local health services negatively?

I have read the recently circulated leaflet on the new Ambulatory Care Centre and I can assure Councillor Mrs Warren that it provides significantly less "health service" than was previously provided by Kidderminster Hospital.

There are two new facilities, GP beds, which were not needed when we had in-patient beds managed by consultants and a satellite renal dialysis unit which could easily have been accommodated in the buildings available on the hospital site.

For this, it is reported that taxpayers are paying £14 million, money which could have been used to maintain services at Kidderminster.

We are losing a full A & E service which is vital to saving lives, in-patient medical and surgical facilities and almost certainly a proportion of day case activity.

May I suggest to all the politicians involved in the forthcoming election, please do not imply that we are getting something better than we had before; be fair to the people of Wyre Forest and present the full information to allow the electorate to form their own opinions.

DEREK ROBERTS

Retired Director of Finance

Former Kidderminster Health Care Trust

Comberton Mansions

Kidderminster