I WOULD like to add my thoughts to those recently expressed in your excellent newspaper.

We have, in Redditch a first class hospital which serves both Redditch, Bromsgrove and the surrounding area.

I do agree that pruning some of the top heavy management structure would help to save a great deal of money and allow more of the available resources to be allocated to increasing the number of nurses and doctors on the wards. What is wrong with a matron to run the wards and a hospital engineer to look after the fabric of the hospital? This was the case in the 'old' days and things worked extremely well.

As a family we have been served to the highest standard by the staff at the 'Alex. In 1997 they saved my wife's life following pneumonia, severe bronchial complications and asthma. More recently my daughter was delivered of a daughter in the same hospital. The care and attention shown to her and her family had to be seen to be believed. In my wife's case a trip to Worcester would have been a death sentence. Time was of the essence.

Why downgrade a perfectly good hospital when the new hospital at Worcester is already overstretched and the parking problems are well known. If it isn't broken leave well alone.

Mike Clements

Catshill