DR Richard Taylor MP was understandably saddened and disappointed at the impending disappearance of Wyre Forest Primary Care Trust (Shuttle Times and News, March 9).

As chairman and one of seven non-executives, I can confirm that we are extremely unhappy to see a trust that we have worked so hard to develop, and of which we are so justly proud, lose its separate identity.

However, I strongly disagree that as non-executives we have ignored the wishes of patients and the public of Wyre Forest, and have not acted in their best interests.

We have been to great lengths to determine the views of the public.

The well-attended public meeting on February 8 left the Strategic Health Authority in no doubt that every one of the local people present wanted to retain their existing PCT.

At the beginning of an extraordinary PCT board meeting on March 7 we also allowed 30 minutes for the public to express their views, and again everyone wanted to see the retention of the PCT.

In our submission to the SHA we will make these views abundantly clear.

However, the PCT board has a duty to respond to the options set out and to the requirements of the Secretary of State in "Commissioning a Patient-led NHS" which make it clear that PCTs have to become fewer, and be much larger.

There were two options for us to consider - the creation of a single county PCT, or the creation of a North Worcestershire PCT and a South Worcestershire PCT.

The retention of the PCT in its current size and status was not an option.

The special PCT board meeting on March 7 took the unprecedented step of including clinical members of the professional executive committee who, together with the executive directors on the board, were asked to express views on the options.

The consensus was that a county-wide PCT would be in the best interests Wyre Forest people, and the board voted by 10 members in favour, with two abstentions and one member absent, provided that the following safeguards were secured:

A strong locality focus for the PCT and provider services should be retained as a visible identity within this area, built around the GP-led locality based commissioning.

A minimum of one non-executive member should represent Wyre Forest on the new PCT board, and one clinical representative from this area on the new professional executive committee.

The benefits of the increased allocation of funds due to the people of Wyre Forest in 2007/8 (£1.8 million) should be ring-fenced for this area.

As a board, to have rejected both options against the advice of our officers, clinicians and directors, and to have insisted on the retention of our PCT, would not have fulfilled the requirements placed on us.

It could have left us marginalised and at worst, exposed us to the imposition of the option of a North Worcestershire PCT, for which there was no support.

As one of the smallest PCTs in the country, with an extremely fragile financial base, and limited management capacity, to have argued for our retention in our current form would have been untenable.

I feel we have taken account of the widest range of views and representations obtained, and we have been extremely grateful for the powerful public support and endorsement of the PCT.

The decision was extremely difficult, particularly as we, non-executives, will all lose our jobs, and the opportunity to continue making contributions to the development of health care services in our area.

DAVID PRIESTNALL

Chairman

Wyre Forest Primary Care Trust

Kidderminster Hospital