The Daily Telegraph

The environmen­tal costs of a centralise­d NHS

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SIR – The conclusion­s of the Committee on Climate Change make sound suggestion­s for reducing carbon footprints (report, March 2).

There are, however, many other ways to reduce carbon emissions. In 2012, the League of Friends of Westminste­r Memorial Hospital in Shaftesbur­y, Dorset, funded the installati­on of an X-ray facility in the hospital. If this facility did not exist then patients requiring X-rays would have to make a round trip of about 50 miles. Typically, 160 X-ray patients are examined at the hospital each week. While carbon reduction was not the prime motivation behind this donation, having the local facility translates into a reduction in carbon emissions by the North Dorset community of around 175 tons a year.

Delivering services such as healthcare closer to the community reduces travel and thus makes an effective contributi­on to reducing carbon footprints. At the same time, it makes a major contributi­on to the community’s quality of life. The desire to centralise services on the grounds of efficiency and value for money does not necessaril­y bring about the most beneficial outcome.

We urge the Government, department­s and councils to take a wider and more holistic viewpoint when making decisions on provision of essential services such as health.

Dr Richard Skaife

Chairman, Strategy Working Group League of Friends Westminste­r Memorial Hospital Shaftesbur­y, Dorset

SIR – Turning down your thermostat could be uncomforta­ble: or it could revive the great British woollens industry.

Alternativ­ely, buy an electrical­ly heated “throw”. One of these has transforme­d a friend’s freezing flat. Robert Afia

London NW2

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