First they closed A&E... then the bulldozers moved in

• THE news that the accident and emergency department of Whittington Hospital may be closed is indeed shocking. I have had very good treatment there over the years as an outpatient.
It serves mainly the borough of Islington, which is the size of a small city. Islington cannot do without it.
It was tragic enough for the Royal Northern Hospital in Holloway Road to be closed and torn down. This was a wonderfully built hospital with its large circular building from which you could see the whole city from any angle. There was also a very good canteen – more like a first-class restaurant – on the top floor, also with great views.
First they closed the A&E, then the operating theatres were continually disrupted until they were finally put under the aegis of the Whittington. The next step was to transfer the maintenance department staff to the Whittington works department.
Finally, nothing moved at the Royal Northern until the bulldozers came.
Take a look at the entrance to the Royal Free Hospital A&E department. How can it possibly take any more ambulances should Whittington A &E be closed?
It is in Pond Street, which is very narrow, and is also a busy bus route. At the Whittington there is plenty of room, with wide surrounding roads for ambulances.
To offload part of the Whittington onto the Royal Free can only choke up its usually very good services. Even farther away from the Whittington is University College Hospital, and farther for visitors to see people should they be taken there.
Despite some criticism, the NHS is the national treasure of the UK. Just stop playing Monopoly with it.
WILSON JOHN HAIRE
Lulot Gardens, N19 

• I HAVE already congratulated MP Jeremy Corbyn on his sterling efforts to save the accident and emergency unit at Whittington Hospital and have confirmed the determination of Conservatives in Islington to provide all the support we can.
Given that he is well known to be the most rebellious of Labour MPs, it would be unfair and unjust to associate Mr Corbyn with the Labour government, which is, of course, ultimately responsible for these cuts.
It also seems timely to draw attention to Conservative plans to reform the NHS. Not only do we plan, quite properly, to return control of the NHS to patients and professionals, to protect NHS funding and make the NHS more accountable and accessible to communities, we have promised, explicitly in our draft manifesto, to stop the forced closure of A&E wards.
I suspect Mr Corbyn’s efforts to save A&E, and the rest of the Whittington (which, make no bones about it, will follow), will be much better supported by an incoming Conservative government than by this defunct administration.
I wish him every success in fighting off the closure until common sense prevails after the General Election.
ADRIAN BERRILL-COX
Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate, Islington North