IN the Wiltshire Times (October 20) you reported on the proposed closure of 23 mental health beds in Wiltshire.

The removal of these beds was one of the measures raised for consultation in the Pathways for Change and Mainstreaming Mental Health reviews.

It was understood that the board of the PCT were unwilling to make any decisions on these reviews because of impending personnel changes, from the chief executive down. Clearly this was not so, rather it appears it was a tactic to wait for the public clamour to die down and then to start sneaking closures through.

I despair at the way these services are being cut. The improvement of care in mental health is supposed to be a priority for this government, but all we see is closures. A unit is promised at Salisbury plus investment in GPs' surgeries.These services do not exist yet. Can the PCT be trusted to introduce them, especially if they need to trim their budgets still further? I think not.

M HOWELL, Melksham