AS a local ambulance paramedic I am closely involved in the current "diaspora" in Worcestershire.

The dispersal of sick, injured, young and old alike, to the length and breadth of Worcestershire and Herefordshire in the alleged pursuit of "best medical practice" is, in my opinion, a shameful disgrace.

While health service staff struggle valiantly to "make the best of a bad situation" it is obvious that something is fundamentally wrong with the "Investing in Excellence" document.

Is it not about time that some plain, old-fashioned commonsense is brought to bear and beds are re-opened at Kidderminster Hospital to cope with the impending winter bed crisis in this area?

D WILLETTS

James Road, Kidderminster