THE meeting of the board of Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale NHS Trust on July 28 confirmed the worst fears of those interested in health care.

The board is mainly concerned about the financial results - a likely 'loss' in trading terms, for the first time since the Trust was established (remember, this is a health care facility 'owned' by this community for the benefit of its people not a supermarket responsible to shareholders). Of much less importance, it seems, is, delivering adequate health care to some of the most vulnerable and neglected people in our community - the elderly, the elderly sick and mentally infirm and, now, the latest 'attack' comes on patients with anorexic and bulemic eating disorders. The disgraceful decision to replace an in-patient facility with an inadequately-staffed and cheaper alternative is typical of the trend now prevalent. What is most unusual is that the normal courtesies of having adequate public, patient and clinical discussions have been by-passed in order to facilitate a situation whereby last-minute re-thinks are difficult, if not impossible.

Some five years ago, a similar set of circumstances prevailed - the end result being the removal of several senior board members and total loss of confidence in the board by medical staff and national press.

History may be about to repeat itself; this time the politics are different. Those who expected the deliberate policy of replacing the Freemasonry and Conservative nominees by Labour Party loyalists would result in a more caring attitude have become disappointed. The Labour Party loyalists in particular made eloquent pleas and voiced heartfelt concerns about the closure of the eating disorder unit, but opposed the chairman, Brian Foster, when he asked for support for this proposal.

So it is to be hoped that those who care for these unfortunate patients will voice their concerns at one or both of the next board meetings on August 25 and the annual general meeting on September 8.

This obsession with balancing the books should provoke some interesting questions.

HARRY HORNE, Brunshaw Road, Burnley.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.