Nothing in life stays the same

ECHO Irving and her vociferous acolytes need to face facts regarding the proposal to build a new Churchill/Wrington surgery at Langford.

Like it or not, nothing in life stays the same and our NHS must continue to evolve in order to survive. Change is not just about politics but basic economics. Whatever the colour of the next Government, there will be cuts in future public spending and the NHS will have to bear its considerable share.

That is why the current suggestion to combine the Wrington and Churchill Surgeries on a new site in Langford must proceed.

The opportunity to unite and expand local medical services on a single site reflects an established national trend and can only benefit the whole community - for now and for the next generation. If separate small surgeries remain, they will be highly vulnerable to inevitable future cuts, which would leave patients no alternative but to travel even greater distances to other supercentres for their medical care. Furthermore, it makes no practical sense to maintain the running costs of two ageing premises within a few miles of each other - rationalisation makes indisputable financial sense.

The Luddites opposed the introduction of new ideas and technology that they believed would threaten their traditional way of life. Nevertheless, the Industrial Revolution continued with great success.

Let us all be guided by the lessons of history and look to a new, positive future for our local medical services, unencumbered by narrow, selfish, short-term concerns.

IAN PITCH

Church Road, Winscombe