HAD Paul Reynolds still been at the Community Health Council, I do not doubt that he would have been campaigning for the retention of the special care baby unit at Fairfield Hospital.

However, he has now been replaced by . . . by what? By who? Where? The public does not know.

Fairfield services are better now than they have ever been, so why alter what is good? It appears that sending hundreds of patients and their friends motoring along the roads to Rochdale, Oldham or north Manchester is preferable to supplying a chauffeur-driven car for a paediatrician to visit Fairfield. Of course it is cheaper for the NHS! But all this assumes that there are sufficient facilities at our hospital. The public needs to know just what makes these proposals for change so much better for the people.

Less seriously, are we to be dispersed in future to centres of excellence -- heart cases to Hartlepool; liver cases to Liverpool; diarrhoea to Workington; bronchitis to Chester; piles to Ramsbottom; baldness to Wigan; foot troubles to Waterfoot; measles to Spotland; the elderly to Oldham, and Mad Cow Disease to 'Uddersfield?

We can only conceive of a time when computers take over. You will press P when the pregnancy is confirmed; press E for exercises; W when your waters burst; P repeatedly for push (to accompanying rhythmic music); E for eject: U for umbilical: S for smack; and press Y for yell. Birth completed! And don't forget to press Help if you need a "computer midwife"! God bless mums.

Ex-CHC