DEBBIE Fleming, chief executive of Poole and Bournemouth Hospital Trusts, is encouraging the public to write in or sign a petition to support their planning application for the building works at Poole and Bournemouth “or risk losing these precious funds (£147mkillion) to another area”.

We should expect our public servants to give us the full story. The planning application means that Poole Hospital will lose its highly regarded accident and emergency service and maternity unit and two thirds of its beds. These services will be moved to the highly congested Bournemouth hospital. There will be very long journeys to A&E and maternity for thousands of patients with a greater risk to life. On the NHS’s own figures there will be too few beds in Dorset.

Such is the concern that the secretary of state for health has referred the plans to an independent panel but the hospitals are carrying on regardless. They are spending our money on plans which do not have official approval.

Debbie, there has already been a petition about this. 37,000 Dorset residents opposed the closure of Poole A& E. We too want investment for our hospitals but not for the wrong plans.

CLLR STEVE CLARKE, Corfe Castle Parish Council, East Street, Corfe Castle