Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust is just going through the motions with its consultations.

An independent report commissioned by Kennet District Council concluded that what was being proposed provided insufficient medical services and the process was being rushed.

Last Thursday, at the PCT board meeting they were making decisions regarding the future of medical services in Devizes for decades to come and they haven't even published the results of the public consultation so much for public opinion.

It is the PCT's intention to close a ward and not provide 24-hour cover for minor injuries.

My understanding is that the minor injuries are already dealt with at almost nil cost because they use the staff who are already staffing the wards.

How do they propose providing nursing care for those who would have used the beds which are to be closed?

Care in the community? We all know how well that works on a limited budget and they haven't even started to recruit the staff.

Are they hoping to off-load some of the responsibility to Social Services?

What is promised in the PCT's plans is covered with caveats, ifs, buts and maybes.

The word hospital is used but how many hospitals do you know that don't have any beds?

The PCT's proposal is that someone else might build a nursing home and the PCT will rent and staff 12 beds. So that might not happen either.

It all strikes me that it is a cost-cutting exercise where Devizes loses out and is stripped of assets but the PCT appears to have money to spend on itself you only have to look at Southgate House.

I would only be too pleased to have a hospital in such a building.

I note that the PCT has withdrawn a planning application for a smoking shelter for staff at Southgate House, I suppose it would be a bit embarrassing spending more money on itself when cutting medical services.

I end as I started and suggest that the public consultation is only window dressing.

P GRIFFIN

Devizes