MANY of your readers may not be aware that the current NHS consultations on the amalgamation of Strategic Health Authorities, the regionalisation of ambulance services and the future configuration of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) are now about half way through their 14 week period.

Public meetings are few and far between, and consultation documents have only been distributed to certain statutory consultees, but can be viewed at www.nhswestmidlands.org.uk.

We know, from talking to our constituents, that there is a widespread feeling for two PCTs. This would involve retaining the south Worcestershire PCT and formalising the amalgamation of the Wyre Forest and the Redditch and Bromsgrove PCTs into a north Worcestershire PCT.

Two PCTs would reflect the genuine differences between the north which looks to Birmingham for more specialised treatments and the south of the county more often to Cheltenham, Gloucester and even Oxford, and ensure that NHS management does not lose touch with local populations, whilst maintaining valuable working relationships with local authorities and voluntary organisations.

A preference has already been stated in the consultation document for a single Worcestershire PCT on the basis that it would be co-terminous with Social Services. However, Social Services has recently been split into Adult Services, and Children's Services. Imposing the co-terminosity argument is premature before the Lyons Report on Local Government is published in the summer.

In any case, the county council works with organisations such as the Home Improvement Agency which is run on a north/south basis. The NHS restructuring seems to be proceeding with almost indecent haste to save money, with hardly a consideration for its avowed mantra of a 'patient-led NHS'.

There is real fear of a 'done deal' and that the consultation is a sham, and part of the Government's regionalisation by stealth since they cannot get approval via the ballot box. The new chief of the regional ambulance service will be appointed shortly, way before the end of the consultation period.

The recent report of the House of Commons Select Committee on Health slammed the proposed reorganisations for being hugely disruptive, costly, premature and without a proven business case for improved services. The consultation document criticises the north/south model for not providing sufficient critical mass for managing financial balance and risk. In that case, why were three PCTs 'just what the doctor ordered' four years' ago?

Cllr Mrs Judy Pearce

(Executive board member for

housing and health, Wychavon DC)

Cllr David McGrath

(County health scrutiny committee

representative, Bromsgrove DC