It was wonderful to read Roz Williams’ letter that her local MP is fighting to keep Hinchingbrooke Hospital open and all the vital services currently offered there.

I sincerely hope that the campaign is successful.

However, we in this part of East Cambridgeshire are severely bereft of medical services and I understand that these are under threat at Doddington and the Princess of Wales in Ely.

It is incredible that in the Ely, Littleport and Soham area, where thousands of new homes are being built, that local residents face a journey time of over forty minutes to Addenbrookes (or well over an hour if traffic is congested on the A10 ) to get to the nearest A & E department or maternity ward.

The Princess of Wales hospital which once provided such services should surely once more be considered as a provider of these vital needs in this part of Cambridgeshire.

The traffic on the A10 will only get worse with these new dwellings and as the A10 is unlikely to be dual carriageway any time soon so will the journey to Addenbrooke’s .

It seems crazy as that while half of the Princess of Wales is sitting empty expectant mothers, the elderly and people needing urgent medical attention have to troop all the way to Cambridge, in some cases possibly risking lives.

The local council and government planning officers need to give serious consideration to the lack of these facilities in this area. Whilst it will be beneficial to have a cinema complex in the town the pressing need is for a real upgrade for medical facilities in East Cambridgeshire.

I write from personal experience as I was a major trauma patient some twenty years ago and dearly want to see the people in the Fens.

It would be great if people locally would apply pressure to their local MPs and councillors to encourage the development of these services in this area.

M DRONIUK

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