Chris Carter ONE OR two of our regular readers have questioned the Recorder s commitment in the battle to keep the borough s A&E department open. I have said from the outset we need to be open-minded to the possibility of changes to services, but only if those changes

Chris Carter

ONE OR two of our regular readers have questioned the Recorder's commitment in the battle to keep the borough's A&E department open.

I have said from the outset we need to be open-minded to the possibility of changes to services, but only if those changes will improve the health of the borough's citizens and not put their lives at risk.

The argument that, with drastically improved community care allied to an aggressive campaign educating people as to what services to use, A&E could be closed, seems once again to be flawed.

As Cllr Loraine Sladden has indicated, polyclinics are untried and the jury's out as to whether they will fill a gap opened by the loss of A&E.

It is clear that Loxford polyclinic is not a walk-in centre, thus meaning people need to find somewhere else to walk into out of hours.

Accessibility to GP surgeries seems to have improved but there is still a way to go.

The education programme for the public, to ensure emergency services are not abused will take years - and in some cases it seems health chiefs' message has not got through to ambulance staff.

The Recorder has always played its hand fairly, while at the same time having the well-being of the community at heart. Nothing has changed.

The "change" programme launched by Health for North East London is not convincing and this newspaper supports the campaigns against the plans.

And if necessary we will take the protest to the top, once again, on behalf of our readers and the community, in order to see common sense prevail again.