Dear Sir,
I read with interest the article submitted by John D Clare in the edition released week-ending 20th July.
Mr. Clare states that “The County Council has just published on it’s webpage a call for responses to it’s Joint Health & Wellbeing Strategy.”
Attention is directed towards certain issues, namely Questions 3, 5 and 6. Mr. Clare extols the value of the N.H.S. and urges “as many Aycliffe people as possible to read the Strategy Document, complete the on-line reply and register for future consultations ….. last date to reply is 11 July.
Regrettably the consultation period ended at the date stated. I would however, ask did the County Council carry out any other form of survey (not every family is on-line)? Did any public meetings take place and if so, when and where? Were any leaflets distributed? What was the precise date the Strategy and survey went on-line? And finally how many responses were made?
I was disappointed not to have been able to participate in this project as I too hold the NHS in very high regard having entered the Health Service in 1949 and have witnessed many changes in all branches of medciine, surgery and community care. However, I do have some concerns about priorities, professional training standards and present standards of “care” in certain areas.
P.C.
Ed: The consultation period was quite short and by the time a weekly newpaper such as ours published the details the date had passed, but hopefully the County Council allowed late replies.
