Not what the Dr ordered!

SIR - Your article on Grant Shapps' crusade to save GP surgeries and the accusation of "scaremongering'' by Mike Hobday deserves a response.

Grant is right to draw this to the attention of residents. It will affect many people.

The government are introducing polyclinics, one of which will probably be sited at the QE2 Hospital. Into the polyclinics will go a number of GP surgeries based on one site. This will mean existing surgeries will close. The effect of this will be that residents will lose their local doctor as there will no guarantee you will see your "own" doctor. The relationship built up between GP and patient will suffer and this will for some people also mean the loss of a trusted friend, familiar with your medical and family circumstances.

Travel to the QE2, pay to park or park in side streets annoying residents and seeing a doctor you may not know. Is that what people want?

Mr Hobday is wrong to say surgeries will not close. Where else will GPs come from? He also says polyclinics will have longer hours of opening, yet surgeries have been told to open longer hours. You don't need a polyclinic to achieve this.

This is not scaremongering but a reality. GP services will change forever.

Councillor Alan Franey, Daniells, WGC.

not to mention the impact(!) on the comfort of occupants.

Recognising that the responsibility of the roads is in the hands of the county council, would they care to comment about the present state and how they intend to make things better for the future?

I would also contend that the district council has a responsibilty to its citizens to ensure the county council makes good our local roads.

I suppose the easy answer is 'no money' but I would welcome some word from the authorities on what they intend for the maintenance of our roads in the future and will we ever have decent roads again.

Robert Gill, Woodland Rise, WGC.