Sir, – After reading the letter last week from Russell Smith about South Tees Hospital Trust having to find £91m over the next three years, I remember the letter several weeks ago about staff at Middlesbrough and Newcastle saying that the ultimate aim was to shut the Friarage. The only response to that was a statement from the Friends that were trying to raise money for a scanner. Yes the scanner would be for Northallerton and no where else – but if it closed the scanner could be moved elsewhere. There has been no response from the trust.

The children’s services were moved in spite of public opinion and also the fact that there is tremendous building going on at Catterick Garrison and there must be elsewhere in the area – this is going to be the biggest base in Europe. South Tees has started to run a shuttle bus at vast expense for parents who do not have a car and we hear about a train station for James Cook. Lucky Northallerton – you have a train station – we at Richmond and beyond do not and bus services are being cut as well.

The one good thing to have come from recent action is that we have men and women in the forces who have valuable trauma experience - lets not loose the skills - lets use them at both the Friarage and Duchess of Kent – lets have the A&E back there as it used to be. We have to draw a line and we all say no more to loosing services or are all supposed to move to Middlesbrough and Newcastle so South Tees Trust can have an easy life. My husband has to go to various departments over the years and it is amazing how many changes of appointments we have had over this time. Funnily enough , the change of appointment letters all come with the phrase ‘as you could not make the stated appointment we have moved it to this day’ – strange as we never asked for it to be changed in the first place.

Lynne Kemp,

Richmond.