THE flying visit of the Secretary of State for Health, Mrs Hewitt, to Gloucestershire last week leaves one questioning the reasons for her concern.

The meeting was arranged with little publicity and involved a selected 15 stake holders. It was held at Cirencester Hospital, next door to the offices of the Cotswold and Vale PCT, yet Mr Richard James, Chief Executive of the said trust did not attend the meeting. This surely says something of the machinations of the Gloucestershire Health Trust. Soon after the meeting a news bulletin was issued by the NHS in Gloucestershire, giving an outline of their proposals for change. Mrs Hewitt's visit implies endorsement of the proposals and yet we are in the middle of a period of so-called consultation. This hardly seems right. The proposed changes to local health services represent the most savage cuts that I can recall in over 30 years. They are reliant upon increase in community care yet there appears to be inadequate funding for these proposed increases. The track record of community services in much of Gloucestershire is poor and the public is right to be sceptical that their needs will be met.

The community hospitals of Gloucestershire have over the years done sterling work to care for and support the health needs of the local communities. yet they are to be cut down, and the expertise of all their dedicated and experienced staff ignored and sidelined. Is it surprising that the majority of us feel this is a retrograde step? Once these local institutions have gone they will never be restored. I urge the Health Trust to rethink their proposals that are obviously driven by government dictate.

TIMOTHY J CARTER, MB, BChir, MRCGP, Moore Health Centre, Moore Road, Bourton-on-the-Water.