WYCHAVON District Council have set the stumbling Malvern Hills District Council an excellent example of what real leadership can produce - threats and petulance do not lead to solutions, especially where greater bodies such as the Strategic Health Authority or, as in the past, the old Regional Health Authorities are concerned - they have always controlled the money supply.

Twenty-five years is a long time to wait for a detailed decision on the replacement Malvern hospital.

Clearly there is no doubt that it has to be built on the designated site at Seaford Court and it has to be large enough to accommodate all the necessary supporting services that are required for the ever expanding population of the Malvern Hills area.

It will certainly need to have not less than 48 beds, with all the up-to-date services that its size will require - not forgetting plenty of car parking space, a matter that is all too often neglected in today's development.

We should banish all thoughts of possible use of the depot site for hospital use - the whole idea clearly has merely been responsible for much additional delay. Thus in short there is only one site for the replacement Malvern hospital - Seaford Court. Let us all now speedily confirm the fact and finalise the monies and service provision arrangements.

TOBY BRUCE-MORGAN (former chairman of the Worcester and District Health Authority), Guarlford.