GRAVE concerns are being raised by many people about this Government and the NHS.

Big in hospital terms is not always beautiful.

The cottage hospitals that we have dotted around our county we want to keep.

Melville Watts gave a lot of his lifetime and money to preserve them and his wish and ours is that they should remain as they were meant to be – not taken over by outsiders, charities or not, whatever name might be given to the new body.

This community is growing faster than would have been realised a few years ago. Many houses have already been approved for this area and indeed for Chepstow. That means thousands more people and vehicles will be on the roads.

Many more babies will be born so it would make more sense to open once again a maternity wing in either the Dilke or Lydney to accommodate this situation.

Already the situation at Gloucester is at breaking point. A shorter journey for a pregnant mum – and more comfortable I might add – would be more agreeable, I am sure.

The cost of fuel and parking charges all add up.

So come on all you young mums, campaign to get this facility in your hospital and save all the travelling and charges that this Government wants to put on you.

We have heard already that this Government intends to close these very precious amenities we have, not only Dilke and Lydney but in Stroud as well.

These small hospitals are worth their weight in gold and are supported well by the communities who put them there in the first place by putting money into funds to build them.

We have heard that terminally ill patients have had letters telling them they might not be treated as funds might not be available for them in the future.

What nonsense is this when billions are paid into the NHS every week. Is this Government diverting funds to other projects like they do with the car tax we pay?

Come on, let's tell this government what we think of them. The amount of damage being done on a daily basis is appalling. Not a day goes by without more people losing their jobs, businesses or homes.

Fourteen million people in America without work and we are near three million. We have been down this road before. Let's do something now before it is too late.

– S.T.?Gray, Parkend Road,?Bream.