COMMUNITY Services in Gloucestershire are set for radical change, as the invited audience at a recent meeting in Coleford learned.

Services now provided within the framework of the NHS, such as the running of community hospitals and district nurses, will now be delivered, if proposals are approved, by a newly formed, private, community interest company (CIC), sounds familiar?

Plans for this change were drawn up in secret, contrary to the NHS constitution, with no opportunity for interested parties to be involved.

The CIC will benefit from a three year contract awarded by the Primary Care Trust.

Ownership of our local hospitals is vested in the NHS via the PCT. The PCT will become defunct before the contract ends. What then for our hospitals and services?

Alternatives to this model of transformation have received little or no consideration or evaluation.

A merger of services within the acute hospitals foundation trust might well prove a better option.

Albert Weager

Coleford