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I have hitherto accepted the no replacement facility situation, having taken the view that the Primary Care Trust (PCT) has had too many new policy edicts thrust upon it over the years.

The PCT did at one time get as far as publishing plans of a building but government then issued another edict and they were incompatible with that – so the process started over again.

Then I received a letter from the NHS about Foundation Trusts. What codswallop!

Phrases like “Foundation Trusts are allowed greater freedom in deciding how public money is spent” and “we must demonstrate that we have a strong membership” really riled me.

No! We don’t want them to have more freedom to spend on everything but Littlehampton.

What are the people of Littlehampton, if not long since a pool of local people they should be accountable to?

The biggest problem has been that whenever a new edict is issued, an NHS yrust’s first response is to initiate a “review” – starting with the executive management and then a reorganisation of that, absorbing much time and management resource.

One supposes that when – and it’s not “if”, is it? – this foundation trust matter proceeds, the responsibilities of the executive will be deemed to be greater, justifying salary increases well ahead of delivery of results.

Many existing Foundation Trusts are failing to deliver and are £millions over budget.

I am suspicious as to the relationship between the Western Sussex Hospitals Trust/Foundation and the NHS Sussex Trust, with whom the campaigners met.

There seems to be a new, additional, layer of management.

There is a public relations strategy known as “coalition”.

Various other words are used instead – partnership, focus group, membership.

A coalition works by many underhand means, including infiltration of a targeted protest group, to gain acceptance for a highly controversial proposal, most often by government and big business for their profit (the NHS is Britain’s biggest business – for profit read cost-cutting) to activate the support of “stakeholders” and to nullify the opposition groups.

I suggest that we do become “members” but take care to then remain idealist and objective, perhaps even cynical, about the management of the NHS.

John Morris,

Maltravers Drive,

Littlehampton