I'm appalled at the arrogance of the PCT – and of Jeff James in particular – in their refusal to meet Val Compton and allow her to hand over in person the cheque for £10,000 raised by the community.

Having talked to Val, I know her idea was to draw a line under the legal case and hopefully move on.

The comment made to her by a member of staff that the legal case ended for them with the Judgment, typifies their lack of empathy with the community they are meant to be serving. We pay their salaries!

Judging from the email exchange between the PCT and Val, it was his staff who initially suggested that Jeff James should be the person to accept the cheque from Val.

However, it looks very much as though it was Mr. James himself who pulled the plug on the idea and used his communications personnel to phone Val and give her the news that neither he nor anyone else would meet her personally.

That was even before she made the request that maybe a press photographer could be present to record the event for supporters and the community. In my opinion there is no need for that kind of rudeness.

You pictured a furious looking Val Compton outside Southgate House – and that’s the effect the news will have had on most of the community.

So much for Jeff James’s wish to move forward and communicate with us as he said at the Town Council meeting in July.

Hopefully there are other people in NHS Wiltshire who have a better understanding of our situation and with whom we can liase in order to gain an acceptable medical emergency service in this area.

Caroline Jackson, Manton, Marlborough.