I SEEM to feel a continual sense of local hospitals fighting for survival.

I, therefore, read with some bemusement, that this sense comes at a time when Blair tells us that record levels of our money is being invested in the NHS? We hear nothing else but the threat of merges and closures at local level; causing distress to thousands of patients and families, who will miss the local service and have to travel long distances to the new hospital.

The taxpayer, wants local services to be improved and not cut.

One would have thought that the highly paid politicians and bureaucrats, in the year 2005, would have got it right by now? Small units are favoured by the consumer and staff alike. This management wisdom was discovered in the 1970s at a time when small firms, were being devoured and merging. Small is more efficient and environmentally friendly.

The changes in the NHS, like education, are endless. The latest innovation, is to be the recruitment of yet another layer in medical care, with the appointment of care practitioners; 3000 of them, to work between the activities of the doctor and the nurses.

The 3000 at say, including admin costs; pensions etc and salaries, will cost us a further whopping £120 million.

Soon, the doctors will be enjoying a sinecure. Having just recently agreed a contract with the Government, for a substantial wage increase, shorter working days and weeks; no evening call outs if they don't wish, life must be getting better all of the time; except perhaps for the taxpayer patient. Where are all of the benefits and improvements that Blair, the verbalist, verbates continually about?

Am I missing something but shouldn't services be modelled on the paying publics wishes, first?

Perhaps it is being forgotten that when Blair is promising investment, it is our money he is promising to invest.

But is this investment being wasted on other things, like the Iraq war?

Total to date £3.1 billion; add on to this benefits, of all sorts, is it any wonder that Britain's houses are falling into the sea! (The late John Smith copyright).

DOUGLAS J WATHEN, Alcester Road, Rushford, Salford Priors.