Following what seems like an endless consultation process, it is clear that Devizes is being softened up for the loss of its hospital (Gazette March 13.)

It seems that all those who should be banging the table at the Primary Care Trust in Southgate House are either paralysed or powerless. The PCT claims to be welcoming consultation. Indeed, it is extending its consultation to the end of April following last week's furore over its leaked plans.

How much more consultation does the PCT want? It is perfectly clear what the community wants: A working hospital with beds, 24-hour casualty care, maternity unit and diagnostic services.

The fact that the PCT has a £10 million deficit is pathetic. This is a short- term management problem which should not be addressed by closing whole hospitals on a long-term basis.

Any business in this situation starts by taking out layers of its own administration and streamlining its procedures, not by cutting the services it delivers.

Meanwhile, our PCT is busy building cosy shelters for their smokers to take time off and relax in comfort.

Where are the elected representatives in all this consultation? We pay for four levels of government here in Devizes:town council, district council, county council and South West Regional Development Agency. What has been heard from them?

The town council is calling a public meeting: this is more consultation when it should be banging heads together.

The district council is nowhere to be seen.

County council? Much too busy with bicycle lanes to get involved with a real emergency.

SWRDA? Well, SWRDA selected Devizes as one of its flagship market and coastal towns targeted for priority development.

This brought a community Plan and new gateway signs, but matters of real importance like our hospital seem to have escaped its attention.

The PCT's previous scheme was that the existing hospital would be closed and the services transferred to a new hospital at Green Lane. Indeed, Peter Williams of the PCT has spent much of the last two years discussing this proposal.

The Trust For Devizes opposed it, partly because the old site was in danger of just ending up as part of Kennet's housing target, but mainly because of the temptation to quietly lose the hospital itself in the process. This now seems to be happening.

The daftest thing, is that this directly contradicts the stated policy of Kennet's Local Plan.

The Government aims to rejuvenate market towns, and to focus improved health-care access and standards on them.

It emphasises the need to minimise the need to travel. In the Local Plan, 87 percent of all the Kennet District housing allocations between now and 2011 are directed at Devizes.

Kennet's whole strategy is to build on the major role played by Devizes in service provision.

Regardless of all of this, it seems that Devizes' growing population may be denied its hospital.

You would think that Kennet and the PCT inhabit different planets, but no, they have headquarters in the same town here in Devizes, and Kennet's Community Services Directorate is represented on the PCT Board.

It seems the PCT is unimpressed by the transport problems which afflict Devizes. What a surprise. We have a politically correct transport policy aimed at making life difficult for drivers, and the PCT finds that this is a good reason to delete our hospital.

Did anyone in Kennet transport planning think of this when they gave us our Strategic Growth Role?

What about the transport problems affecting casualty patients having to get from Devizes to Bath or Swindon?

So, despite our newly awarded importance and massive new housing developments, we are to suffer not only planned obstruction in our road capacity, but also the loss of our local hospital.

So a word of advice. It might be worth learning in advance the bus timetables for Bath, Swindon and Salisbury hospitals, in case you accidentally cut your finger off on a Saturday night.

Jeff Ody

Chairman

The Trust For Devizes