IN an interview last week Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt declared the NHS had just had its best year ever.

In west Wiltshire patients have lost two community hospitals, in Bradford on Avon and Westbury, and learned Warminster and Trowbridge are next to face the axe, while hundreds of hospital staff are facing job losses. Wiltshire Times reporter HELEN THOMAS asked hospital campaigners and staff how they felt about Ms Hewitt's comment...

THE CAMPAIGNERS

Friends of the doomed community hospitals were angered by the Health Secretary's remark. John Cottle, chairman of the Bradford on Avon League of Friends, said: "She is in cloud cuckoo land, it's a ridiculous statement. It may be the best year for closing hospitals but it's not the best for patients."

Warminster League of Friends chairman Richard Vine said: "She must be joking.

"With all the job losses and closures it is an astonishing thing to say." Erica Watson, vice-chairman of the Westbury League of Friends, said Ms Hewitt should speak to those on the front line to find out whether it had been a good year.

"I'd like to know what measure she was using to say that it's been the best year yet. I suspect she's only been talking to accountants," she said. Trowbridge Friends chairman Jeff Osborn said: "If this is the best year ever I don't know what the worst is. Her comments are just classic political spin.

This is the same woman who says community hospitals have a great role and are the future and then lets them close. "I never thought I'd see the day when nurses could be made redundant in this country."

THE UNION

Unison rep for Wiltshire Roger Davey said he was completely disgusted by the remark.

He said: "We feel her comments were outrageous. Far from being the best I'd say it is the worst ever year. We are completely opposed to the closure of community hospitals and think our reality is very different from Patricia Hewitt's.

"She needs to be on the front line and see these services that are being cut back."

Mr Davey invited people to go along to a demonstration being held before the Pathways for Change consultation meeting in the Civic Hall in Trowbridge on May 15 at 5.30pm.

THE STAFF

A Midwife at Trowbridge Hospital, who did not want to be named, also said she could not see how the last year could be seen as the best for the NHS.

She said: "Patricia Hewitt may think it's been the best ever year but it hasn't been for us. We've had staff shortages and we've all been doing extra shifts to try and keep the maternity unit going because we never thought it would be shut.

"I just can't understand how she can think that. She might have saved millions this year but we haven't seen it."

THE MP

Shadow health secretary and west Wiltshire MP Dr Andrew Murrison said Ms Hewitt's comments were grossly insensitive.

"It hasn't been the best year ever in west Wiltshire, far from it.

Four out of the four community hospitals in my constituency are facing the axe, Charter House in Trowbridge is to be closed and we are losing 60 beds in the Royal United Hospital, Bath. "It is difficult to see how things could get much worse, frankly."

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