"HEALTH CHIEFS" say that changes will provide a better service. The overriding reason for wanting to change is to "provide a better service for patients" (Gazette, February 5).

I have recently been sent from Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust a document entitled

Maternity Services Consulting on the Proposals.

It contained 13 pages of jargon, detailing proposed changes in a "meaningful" fashion which might be a script for Yes Minister or Bremner, Bird and Fortune.

There is no way that this "Trust" can justify taking away any part of our Devizes Hospital.

If there could be a referendum, Devizes, the surrounding district and the many villages it serves would vote overwhelmingly to keep the hospital where and as it is and their reasons are as follows:

It is efficient, caring, has a strong voluntary service, is kept shining clean and welcoming (how few hospitals does this apply to now?) and takes quite a heavy load from Bath and Salisbury hospitals.

There are many new "family" houses being built in Devizes now and a great many more with planning

permission to be built in near future.

It was promised about two years ago that it would not be taken away until adequate provision had been made in its place. There was even talk of a new hospital to be built.

There is nothing yet to take its place. Care in the home gets more difficult each week.

Already there are not enough carers to cope with present basic needs. Transport to other hospitals is stretched to limit and very costly.

Money is being spent on unnecessary projects, for example, Devizes Market Place being made less attractive to us all and to visitors with every change. Who dreamt up those twee blue plastic boxes that took away parking places and have to be stocked and looked after?

Is there no common sense left in any North Wiltshire authority or in this government?

We are probably set to lose, eventually Trowbridge, Westbury and Devizes hospitals, all first-rate and much-needed hospitals because we are told "they cost too much".

Who appoints our Primary Care Trust? And incidentally, the cost of a proposed tunnel to "protect" Stonehenge would keep these hospitals going for the foreseeable future!

M LINTON

Coulston