I WISH to respond to the letter by Michael Watson, concerning the Swindon & Marlborough NHS Trust's 'two star' rating and parking at the Great Western Hospital.

I would be the first to acknowledge that parking still remains an issue for the trust, but it is sad that Mr Watson should link this issue to the star rating announcement, when staff within the trust have worked so hard to achieve the 'two star' award.

The management of the trust is constantly looking for ways of increasing parking on the Great Western site, but there are not any easy solutions. One quick fix maybe for more people to use the excellent bus service that the trust helps to fund and was part of the parking strategy imposed by borough council planners.

Before anyone rushes to put pen to paper, I accept that there are many who can not use the bus, due to illness, or rural location, but there are many that can, like visitors, and those outpatients that are not infirm, or too ill to consider the public transport option.

The Green Transport element to the Great Western Hospital's planning permission, was deliberately done to help reduce the reliance of the car in our everyday life, perhaps the council were too forward thinking and Swindon people are not ready for such a mind shift. In London where the use of public transport is an everyday thing, people do not think twice about going to hospital by bus or tube. Whatever the reason, can I just ask that next time you need to go to the hospital think about going by bus, even if you don't, at least the thought of public transport will have been in your head and hopefully start to sow the seeds of change.

Kevin Small

Non executive director

Swindon & Marlborough NHS Trust

Rodbourne