MP Shapps' actions over health service in Welwyn Hatfield

SIR – I read with astonishment the letter from Betty Saunders in which she attacked MP Grant Shapps record on local healthcare. Of all the MPs in the last couple of decades, I cannot think of any who has fought as hard for local health care provision,

SIR - I read with astonishment the letter from Betty Saunders in which she attacked MP Grant Shapps' record on local healthcare.

Of all the MPs in the last couple of decades, I cannot think of any who has fought as hard for local health care provision, or placed the NHS as high on their priority list as he has.

Ms Saunders criticises Mr Shapps for resisting the progressive destruction of our local healthcare infrastructure and argues that we should be grateful for what little is left of it.

Well, Ms Saunders, I thoroughly disagree.

Our local healthcare has a history of broken promises, shut-down services, shipped-out facilities and broken-up departments.

We've been knocked about enough and I'm glad we have someone like Grant Shapps to bang the drum for Welwyn Hatfield.

Paul Telco,

Bell Lane, Brookmans Park

SIR - I found it quite interesting that the letter from my MP and the criticism of Tesco's misleading 'blurbs' were so closely related in your paper.

My interest was enhanced by the fact that the spin given by Tesco's was also so closely related to distortions, irrelevances, misleading statements and half-truths voiced by Mr Shapps.

At least Tesco's has not yet resorted to throwing personal insults at 'local health bosses' and 'thick skulled bureaucrats'.

I'm sorry to have to say that I prefer the information given by health workers to the clearly politically motivated ramblings of a Member of Parliament.

I could, but will not, deal in detail with the matters raised by Mr Shapps. The reason for his propaganda is revealed in the penultimate paragraph of his long letter. His criticisms are of past century decisions.

Get with it Mr Shapps. If you know the real facts, then be honest and show what is good about having one modern central hospital with all the up-to-date equipment and procedures, with a local general hospital on the QE2 site, providing outpatient services, an urgent care centre and lots more.

You either know the facts and are distorting them or you are unaware of what is really happening.

Please do not continue with your practice of scaremongering.

Peter Bell

Brockswood Lane, WGC.

SIR - I read the letter from Mr Shapps MP about our QE2 Hospital losing our main health services to Lister Hospital.

I agree with everything he said.

I have used the A&E at the QE2 and I was treated as a human being not a number on a conveyor belt.

Lister Hospital cope with many patients now, but they are short of nursing staff. If we were to have a major accident on the motorway, even two hospitals would not cope.

I dread the thought if I am taken ill, travelling 15 miles for help with no transport.

Senior citizens have been forgotten in all these plans. We need our hospital where we live not miles away.

I would like to thank Mr Shapps MP and the WHT for keeping us informed about our QE2 Hospital.

Name and address supplied.