england

Dear Sir or Madam,

   I am concerned with the recent release of the office of fair tradings index of poverty in the north west. There have been plenty of other articles on the same matter with the majority concerning child poverty. All the articles make for bad reading, Burnley is rated 4th on the Index for the north west region with 29%; marginally behind Liverpool topping the list on 33%.

It really does beggar belief that our MP, Gordon Birtwistle has voted in the House of Commons to support the Tories reorganisation of the NHS.  This is the biggest reorganisation in the history of the NHS and is in itself going to cost a staggering 3 billion pound.

The Lancashire Telegraph will report tomorrow that the review into the closure of the Children's Ward at Burnley General Hospital has now been completed.

The report to the Secretary of State indicates that the decision and closure and transfer does meet Patients Needs adequately and that there is therefore no case to re-open the Children's Ward in Burnley.