A STARK warning about what the proposed cuts in health provision locally could mean for the people of Evesham came this week from Dr Neil Townshend of Barn Close Surgery, one of the leading lights behind last year's successful Save our Hospital campaign.

He said: "I find it distressing to see such wholesale cuts to the local hospital and community services when the government is wasting so much money on untested, and on the whole unwanted, initiatives such as NHS Direct, Choose & Book and Walk In Centres.

"When compared to these initiatives the money saved by the proposed cuts is chickenfeed. However, the impact on patient services will be significant.

"Make no mistake, we have cut and cut again before, so anything else to go will hit straight at patients and their care. That means you, the readers. These are cuts to real services used by everybody both in hospital and out in the community.

"It seems astounding the government can fritter away cash on unproven initiatives whilst allowing, indeed forcing cuts to coal-face services.

"At the very least there should be public consultation as these are significant changes to real services affecting real patients.

"This government pays lip service to supporting community hospitals and the delivery of care near to patients' homes whilst actively pushing through policies and central restrictions which inevitably lead to closure of the local services.

Promises

"They announce initiatives and support when it suits them, then refuse even to reply to letters when they are found breaking all their promises.

"We are yet again at the mercy of short-term administrations with no care or thought for the long-term delivery of services.

"For almost ten years we have been trying to get someone to take a long-term view of services at Evesham.

"I am exceptionally pleased that the district council are playing an active role in helping to move this forward as it is only when we have a long-term sustainable solution that we will be able to relax.

"Ultimately the only long-term solution is to find a mechanism of having local control of healthcare services at Evesham."