YOUR front page article about the amalgamation of hospital services (Aiming To Cut Health Costs, News Shopper, January 17) is an indication of how far managers have to go to balance the books.

It is also a further warning we are losing our National Health Service.

The way is being paved for the private hospital in Sidcup, about which we have had no consultation.

Hospital managers, community service managers, GPs and patients have had no say in this decision.

I think we should decide how our health care is provided and how the health service budget is spent.

We have paid our National Insurance contributions for years and we want investment in good hospitals.

Directives from the Government instruct our health managers to support this private hospital to which all the easiest operations will be sent so the shareholders can make a profit.

The fat cats are not satisfied with cashing in on the high interest charged by the Private Finance Initiative also imposed on us by the Government.

E M SMITH, Greenwich