IT is reported that a think-tank is needed to resolve retrospectively the problem of insufficient parking for staff, patients and visitors at the new Worcester Hospital, caused presumably by the previous health authority's decision to sell land to developers for offices as has happened elsewhere rather than retain it for hospital use.

For ordinary folk submitting planning applications the need for adequate parking has to be identified on the plan. If insufficient space is identified the application may be refused.

Mr Blair graced the pages of the local press on March 15 when the new hospital was opened. He said, "The new £95m hospital's been specifically designed to meet (staff's) needs and more importantly those of the patients. I suspect though there may be teething problems too with the new hospital itself... but the difference is that under the Private Finance Initiative these problems will have to be put right quickly. And not at the expense of the taxpayer as in the past but by those who built this new NHS hospital".

Warm and cuddly words but I don't see a representative of Catalyst on the think-tank. If by teething problems he means not that we can't find any NHS dentists but that insufficient space/beds/parking planned into the project for the start can be tweaked afterwards by developers, he needs to explain how this is done?

We are not alone with such problems - see Hereford and many others - nor in land being sold to developers.

How members of the public are expected to continue to have confidence in the financing of hospital, primary care, welfare, education and other essential public services by Private Finance Initiative deals and in how they are struck, is beyond many of us.

Australia has ceased plans to provide health services by this means having learned painful lessons. Surely we don't need think-tanks wasting professionals' time at taxpayers expense to learn this lesson from our cousins when the signs are already there?

WENDY HANDS, Church Walk, Upton-upon-Severn.