AT a time when the East Cambs and Fenland Primary Care trust is in the throes of being abolished, it is still intent on inflicting further hardships on the inhabitants of South Fenland and their community hospital. The PCT has developed a parking policy,

AT a time when the East Cambs and Fenland Primary Care trust is in the throes of being abolished, it is still intent on inflicting further hardships on the inhabitants of South Fenland and their community hospital.

The PCT has developed a parking policy, and its recommendations will go to the new Cambridgeshire PCT which is being set up. The proposals include paid parking at Doddington Community Hospital.

Sharon Fox, director of corporate affairs, claims the proposals represent a fair compromise for staff, patients and visitors.

Did Ms Fox and the rest of the PCT board see the closure of Doddington Community Hospital wards and beds in 2005 as a fair compromise for staff, patients, and visitors?

The report tells us that some £250,000 is being diverted from front line services to finance the car park refurbishment at the Princess of Wales Hospital at Ely, following the £95,000 for refurbishing car parks across the trust's area last year. Are lavish car parks more important than patient care?

It is claimed the policy was being developed "to recognise and try to deal with the tension between the need to ensure staff can get to their workplace and park with ease, while enabling patients and visitors, many who are elderly and disabled, to have reasonable access to our hospitals".

We in South Fenland would love to have access to our Doddington Hospital, more so as in-patients or visitors, rather than have to travel many miles for in-patient treatment and rehabilitation, thus saving our loved ones many miles of travel when taking us for treatment or to visit. The East Cambs and Fenland PCT will go down in history as the people who systematically dismembered the excellent Community Hospital at Doddington; the most modern-built community hospital in the trust's area, and has over 65,000 people living within a six miles radius of it.

Our aim is to have the closed wards reopened and beds restored, paid parking can be assessed after Doddington Community Hospital has been fully re-instated to serve the people of South Fenland, a fast growing population who deserve such a facility.

REG WENN

Acre Fen

Chatteris