Seems taxpayers are not to be told about planned NHS cuts

I WAS interested to read the letter sent to you about the planned cuts to the NHS.

I, and I imagine many people, are extremely concerned by the bits and pieces of information we have managed to glean about this matter.

It would appear that we, the tax payers, therefore funders of the NHS are not going to be properly informed about these master plans until it becomes a done deal.

It would appear that this way of setting policy and carrying out reform is becoming the norm, whether it’s Brexit or our NHS is way beyond our limited understanding, and, therefore, will be imposed.

Strange sort of democracy.

I have been told that councils have been informed, but have been told to keep these plans confidential.

Some have disobeyed these orders and refused to ratify the proposals for the new plans.

From what I can discover, these ‘STP’ plans contain proposals including closure of A&E departments, rationalisation of services and moves towards more privatisation of services.

So thanks for printing this letter.

But why on earth do you put it at the bottom of page 26, buried in the middle of the newspaper?

Surely, this is a headline, front page matter that all of us need to be informed about as a matter of urgency.

Jeremy Hunt and this government need to be left in no doubt that for local communities, the NHS is precious and high on the agenda. It is something I think we will fight for.

And we fund, and always have, the NHS through taxation. It is our NHS.

We want it, we need it, we are proud of it and I would urge any politician with thoughts of reforming it to the point of its demise, to think very carefully.

This nation is becoming very fed up with never ending austerity for some while the rich get richer, with never being involved or included in matters that fundamentally affect us.

It is the fault of the politicians that the service has rarely been funded properly and is now at such a point of crisis. And consistently, they have refused to raise taxes to pay for it adequately for fear of losing votes.

I would like politicians to clearly understand that their job is to lead and not to follow the whims of those that can afford private medicine. Ann Smith Bridgehall