In response to Councillor Anthony Spencer's letter in your January 4 edition about Edgware Community Hospital, I am concerned to comment about his charge of government 'spin' on the timing of the £25million hospital funding announcement.
Like Dr Manning, I have been intimately involved at the project's steering group level along with another hospital campaign committee member, Patricia Kershaw, who has been on the design group since the start.
Our purpose all along has been to try and ensure that the aims arising out of the joint review in autumn 1997 will be achieved. The process has not been without its tensions. I can assure you the timing has not been dictated by Government spin politics but by preparatory work before the final rubber stamp of the NHS region has been applied.
It is to be expected that politics will be made out of such projects and we have no objection to that. But such accusations need supporting evidence before alleging the use of political spin by others and should be used more carefully.
It makes the role of campaigners for our hospital more difficult and I felt it important to put the record straight.
We will be holding an open meeting of supporters on March 28 at which we shall present the current position and answer any questions a report which will be based on our close personal engagement in the project's joint processes.
This meeting will be held at the Watling Community Centre on the Burnt Oak estate.
Stan Davison
Co-chairman
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