Sir, – The news that Farnham is likely to lose its community hospital made grim reading in your paper last week. An improved health centre on the hospital site, while welcome in itself, is nowhere near a substitute for a proper hospital with beds to serve a community of nearly 50,000 people.

The latest proposals are a slap in the face to all those, from every political persuasion and none, who thought that they had persuaded the health authority to think again. Whilst appreciating that the no-beds option is a direct result of current underfunding in the health service, I cannot believe that this plan is right for Farnham, and the authority must withdraw it.

I welcome your call for all the town's elected representatives to unite in opposition to the scheme. One (very small) piece of good news is that these are only proposals so that, theoretically at least, they can be changed, and we have until September 15 to persuade the authority to do just that. We must not lose this opportunity.

Over the next few weeks we need co-ordinated action at all levels to make it crystal clear that these proposals are completely unacceptable. For a start, I hope the Mayor of Farnham can call a public meeting to give the whole community a forum to express its outrage; other protests will follow.

D J Munro

county councillor, Farnham South (Conservative).

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