I HAVE just learnt that Martin Lawn, chairman of the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust for the past three years, has not been reappointed.

As a member of the Harlow Health Centres Trust and a former MP for Harlow for 15 years who originally campaigned for the establishment of Princess Alexandra Hospital, I have maintained many connections with it over the period of its existence and am appalled that there has been no local input whatsoever from patients, staff or elected representatives at any level in arriving at this decision.

During the period that Mr Lawn has chaired the trust, he has always made himself available to staff, patients and the public.

As I understand it, the trust has met agreed financial objectives, achieved waiting list targets set in March and attained a reasonable level of local visibility.

The hospital has also been given a three-star rating. I believe it is correct to say that Mr Lawn has worked well with the whole of the team involved in providing hospital services in the Harlow district.

Over the years, Mr Lawn has given dedicated public service in this area as a former councillor and council leader, as a school governor, as a member and now chairman of the Harlow Health Centres Trust.

His experience in industry and the NHS, his financial expertise and his enterprise mean that he is eminently suitable to serve a further term.

To oust someone who is deeply committed and involved in the general development of health services in the locality does not make sense.

I am aware that selection has now been vested in the NHS Appointments Commission which has, so far as I am aware, no direct connection with the local community.

Even the most tenuous principles of democracy have been completely absent from the process in which this choice has been made.

For those who have exerted themselves over many years to achieve rights for the public to participate in decision-making, accountability and, for that matter, an improved NHS, the present system of appointment is totally unsatisfactory.

How can it be right to entrust the choice of the chairman of the district hospital to a totally invisible body of people who are not even remotely acccountable to the local community or its representatives?

STAN NEWENS,

Park Hill,

Harlow

November 28, 2001 11:07