I felt I needed to add this letter to you regarding Lister Hospital. Hand on heart, I can honestly say that I have had and am still having the best of treatment at Lister and could not have had better treatment if I had been a private patient. I have alwa

I felt I needed to add this letter to you regarding Lister Hospital.

Hand on heart, I can honestly say that I have had and am still having the best of treatment at Lister and could not have had better treatment if I had been a private patient. I have always been treated with kindness and consideration at all times.

If I had to go to the QEII in the future because of any closures, it would cost the NHS more money to get me there, as I could not get there on my own.

Mrs W HOBSON, Douglas Drive, Stevenage

* Having already sent my objection to the proposal to reconfigurate our hospital, I have little to add to the statement made by your paper. However, there are two points I would suggest, the massive housing development proposal for the land west of the A1(M) can only increase very considerably the need for increased hospital services in this area. Also the contention that this is one of the most deprived areas in the county does not appear to have any bearing on the issue, and/or may merely lend weight to the government's apparent argument that its form of privatisation of public services is necessary to restore declining standards.

E HARRIS, Essex Road, Stevenage

* With the amount of new flats and homes being built in this area we need more facilities for hospital departments not fewer.

J M ARMSTRONG, Meadow Way, Hitchin

* I have lived in Hitchin or Ickleford for over 70 years and at one time we had a hospital in Hitchin. I would hate to think that the Lister Hospital cannot continue and expand. There is room, it is accessible and near to the A1(M).

The massive additional houses west of Stevenage has also to be considered and also patients from the Mid Beds area.

About two years ago, I scalded myself late in the evening. I just about managed to arrive to the A&E at the Lister, but I was at the limit as the pain was very severe and I was given first class treatment. Please keep the Lister and let it thrive.

P CARTWRIGHT, Walnut Way, Ickleford

* Well done for trying to keep our hospitals working to full status.

I would just like to point out that Stevenage is very handy for the motorway accidents, and easy for the ambulance services to get there when in a hurry, for heart attacks, etc.

The other thing is that I live in Biggleswade, which is a fast growing town. Thousands of houses are being built there and people here in Bedfordshire also use the Lister Hospital as well as the A&E.

To add to this Mr Burt, MP is also fighting to save the other hospital, Bedford South Wing, as that is in danger as well.

If we lose any of these services, where are we to go? Luton and Dunstable is so far away from us, as is QEII in Welwyn Garden City.

MARGARET ROSE, London Road, Biggleswade

* I am 77 years of age and what I want to say is that I have had good service at the Lister Hospital over the years, and this is the part of Hertfordshire which is most central to the whole area. I also do appreciate what the Lister has done for all my family.

B RYAN, Address supplied

* I first went into the Lister seven weeks after it opened and I am still seeing four doctors there, so if it closed it would be very hard to get to another hospital.

Over the years I have heard people moan about the food, but I always say you do not go in for the food, as long as you come out alright.

MRS MOODY, Address supplied

* Why should we have to travel to any other hospital when we have a fine hospital with all the facilities we need?

Years ago before the Lister was built we had to travel to Hitchin for our hospital and that was not even on the bus route.

NAME AND ADDRESS WITHHELD

* I believe that the Lister should be kept going and the new Hatfield Hospital (which has been turned down).

My only reservation is that if there is so much room for expansion, why hasn't something already been done about parking?

JOY ABBISS, Peters Way, Knebworth

* If it had not been for the Lister A&E my grandson would be dead, but because of them he is now nearly two years old. Thank you.

He would not have survived if he had had to go to the QEII.

STEVENAGE RESIDENT

* It is good to see so many people who hold important positions in our society supporting the SOS Lister campaign.

The A&E department at the Lister is doing an excellent job and is essential for providing cover for such a large catchment area. If the Lister Hospital is downgraded, diverting much of the current A&E work to the QEII, the effect will be to make the latter hospital the lop-sided centre of this enlarged area. The extra distances required to reach the QEII instead of the Lister could result in fatalities in some urgent serious cases.

F H COLLIS, Letchworth Road, Baldock

* I was a GP in Letchworth for many years, at first when the Lister was in Hitchin.

That is a prime example of the acute care not available in an easily accessible local site.

Acute services, (including A&E) to be sited at Hatfield or Welwyn Garden City woud greatly inconvenience or endanger life for citizens of Letchworth and Hitchin.

Jeremy Hersey, Whitethorn Lane, Letchworth Garden City

* I am writing to tell you how very impressed I was by my recent stay of one night in Ward 7A of the Lister Hospital.

The nurses could not have been more kind and attentive, the beds were comfortable and the food was very good. We were given a choice of several things and it was served to us by the nurses, rather than a (sometimes bored looking ) dinner lady.

The girls also brought round the tea trolley frequently which was a great joy!

Whatever may be said about the NHS, I could not fault the 24 hours I spent in Ward 7A. It was a credit to your hospital.

Mary Blaksley, Calebs Cottage, St Ippolyts

* I have been very grateful for the times I have been an in and out-patient in Lister Hospital where I've received excellent treatment and care, from minor ills to cancer.

I still need frequent out-patient appointments and I really hope they can continue at Lister, without me having to travel elsewhere.

I have also visited a Third World country which was very lacking in healthcare and the treatments, operations, and medication that are available to us. I feel very few people have reason to complain about our fortunate state, to have a hospital in our own town and all the facilities it offers. I back the campaign to save Lister Hospital wholeheartedly.

Pamela Sawyer, (retired RGN in community) Lonsdale Road, Stevenage