SIR – Brendan Young showed courage, foresight and leadership when he went public with claims that Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust will be transferring key stroke services from Worcester to Redditch.

I’m sure that most readers would agree that it is precisely these qualities that we should expect to see in all of our elected representatives.

In this respect, Mr Young is a rare fish indeed. Trust chair Harry Turner is clearly rattled by this, as indeed he ought to be.

Having a governor with such a clear commitment to ensuring responsive, equitable and patientcentred services must be problematic when you want to introduce substantial changes on the hoof and, one must presume, with only limited consultation.

Mr Young’s role is to challenge and hold accountable the executive board.

That is why he was elected.

He clearly felt that effecting change through ‘normal channels’ wasn’t going to work, and therefore made his decision to whistle-blow.

A difficult decision and one not made lightly, but undoubtedly in this case the right one.

ROBBIE PORTER
Worcester