Despair over threat to Stafford Hospital A&E

Yet again we shake our heads in despair at the disgraceful handling of this once-scandalised health service.

After the full facts of what happened in the terrible years of patients dying needlessly due to poor care, the chance was there to make Stafford Hospital the example for the rest of the National Health Service to follow.

Instead it has been chipped away, its A&E only part time and services being transferred to hospitals miles away.

Councils, MPs and even government ministers have a duty to fight for Stafford Hospital.

If this downgrade is allowed to go ahead it will be a very sad indictment of politics and the leadership of the NHS. And it will be a very worrying blueprint for the future, with people forced to travel a long way for services once on the doorstep.

More than 50,000 people have marched through the streets to save it.

Their repeated petitions and demonstrations show the people have spoken loudly and passionately about the need for a major conurbation to be adequately supported by the health service they are paying for.

With the risk of a cut to yet more services from Stafford, it looks like nobody is listening.