Sir – During the election campaign the Conservative Party led by our very own MP declared that the NHS would be safe in their hands.

Now less than three months later we learn that the community hospital in his own constituency is being “temporarily closed for seven months” with some vague promise that this would allow some as yet unspecified refurbishment to take place.

The real reason that this is a cost-cutting exercise is also admitted.

The town with its various retirement villages and communities, including the new Richmond Village project, has an ever growing ageing population. The community hospital is a crucial resource for this section of our society, especially give the major difficulties faced getting into Oxford on a daily basis.

Not only will this make it difficult for our elderly citizens to visit their loved ones, it will add to the problems of bed blocking in the JR and other local hospitals.

I hope that the Prime Minister will put his constituents needs first and object to this proposal in the strongest terms.

After all, he promised us that the NHS would be protected, this is perhaps a measure of truth of that statement.

Gordon Craig
Witney