Letter: Redundancies did not cause death

Sir: Sarah Barclay (Home News, 5 November) is wrong to link the tragic death of Deborah Leeds at Barnet General Hospital in August 1992 with any redundancies we have made (which took effect later, and not in departments directly associated with her case). Regrettably, correspondence with her family has had to be conducted through solicitors because there was a prospect of a formal claim against us. We deeply regret what happened, but we do not think your article will help.

With regard to the financial position of the Wellhouse NHS Trust, Ms Barclay presents only half the story. The problems facing our predecessor health authority are irrelevant to the task of properly planning the future provision of services. We plan to rebuild Barnet General Hospital, and we need to change the nature of the services we offer at Edgware. These major changes are the subject of public consultation; if they are allowed to happen, they will assure our financial stability.

Yours faithfully,

MARTIN HAVELOCK

Chief Executive

Wellhouse NHS Trust

Edgware,

Middlesex

5 November