I SUPPOSE I should not be surprised at a group of non-elected men from the Lydney area wanting to start up a business, but it's the bare-faced cheek of saying the future of our health is in their hands; the birth of the CIC (Review December 19th 2008).

They say that their company will give legal 'teeth' to local people. Of course it won't because as they say it will be a registered private compny, how can that fit in with a properly constituted NHS body, the Gloucester Primary Care Trust, definitely a local body based in this county.

The CIC says that it will address gaps in patient services where patients can be treated in Lydney or Dilke hospitals. Obviously the board do not realise that this already happens with treatment clinics of specialists treating locally for people suffering from sight and hearing impairment, non life threatening operations, podiatry, and physiotherapy; now even cancer treatment. What more can the CIC provide?

Of course, it will cost you money to join their club so that the management team can be paid. They already have over £130,000 in the bank so they are just looking for more. No doubt the management consultant has been paid, may be from the £30,000 given to them by the district council. Perhaps as a first step they could hand this back so that it could be channelled back to the voluntary section to lift the shortfall created by the council cutting its budget to Alzheimers, Citizen Advice, Crossroads, Hard of Hearing and Age Concern. – Bart Venner, MBE, High Street, St Briavels.