“LEAST said, soonest mended,” so they say. But you’ll forgive me if I have just one bite of the cherry.

I got into a bit of hot water over a tweet I posted. It was about the hospital trust’s decision to centralise emergency gynaecology services in Worcester Royal due to a shortage of doctors.

I wrote: “I think patient safety trumps location… people go to Ikea for less.” And then all hell broke loose… a big interview on BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester; two big articles on consecutive days in our Worcester News; coverage in the Worcestershire papers; an editorial by John Wilson backing debate, and a cartooning of my view and much abuse on social media.

Well, who knew? I suppose it shows how much our NHS provokes strong feelings and that no change is easy for communities which are affected. And the feelings were strong – I was called a prat, moron, imbecile and pillock among the more polite things – and the Facebook page on which they were posted sadly failed to condemn the comments which provoked even more abuse.

Now, of course, I did not mean to offend. But given that Twitter is a platform in which, in 140 characters, you are meant to catch people’s attention, my tweet was a huge success.

Now I could justify my point in various ways; clarify it and list the rationale to validate it. I could, but the best way is to tell of one person who stopped me in the hospital and spoke to me in the most moving way.

“I’m right behind you and supporting you. Five years ago I got throat cancer. The radiotherapy centre wasn’t built then so every day I had to go from Worcester to Cheltenham to have treatment. I have a brother right down in the South West of the country, and let me tell you this: I would have travelled as many miles as it took to get the treatment that saved my life!”

And that’s what I want too… and I would cross hell and high water to get it.

DAVID SOUTHALL Chaplain, Worcestershire Royal Hospital