Letter: Fears for the future of the NHS

Letter: The latest news that the Royal Shrewsbury NHS Trust is to close 57 medical beds which will include at least one ward, by the end of November, will come as no surprise to those of us who have watched helplessly as this coalition government has dismantled the NHS, brick by brick, bed by bed, nurse by nurse and midwife by midwife.

No doubt the trust will issue the usual press release claiming these bed closures will not affect patient care, a statement that has become tarnished with overuse.

As winter approaches, this devastating news will be of critical concern to local GPs, Shropdoc and the emergency services, who already experience difficulties getting patients admitted.

Andrew Lansley's controversial health reforms will reach the House of Lords this week – last chance saloon of unelected law makers – with the future of the NHS firmly in their hands.

Peter Sayles

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