YOUR correspondent Brian Kay (Messenger July 2) raises a valid point in his objections to the proposed downgrading of Wythenshawe Hospital, when he says the hospital's full A&E department would be vital in the event of a major incident at the nearby airport.

I too object to the proposed reduction of services at Wythenshawe and last year I completed the online consultation form to register my views.

If Wythenshawe is downgraded, then south Manchester's nearest fully- functioning A&E department will be at the MRI, in the built-up city centre, where parking is limited and the streets are gridlocked with traffic for much of every day.

Compare this inaccessible site with that of Wythenshawe, which has easy access, is on the edge of a built-up area close to the airport and has a helipad for the Northwest Air Ambulance.

It's obvious that Wythenshawe Hospital should remain fully functioning, whatever changes are made elsewhere.

With ambulance crews already struggling to meet response times, piling all south Manchester's A&E cases onto a hospital in a congested city centre location would be madness.

Already, since the downgrading of Trafford General Hospital's A&E department, Wythenshawe has been inundated with patients who are not qualified to judge the severity of their own emergency and therefore go straight to the hospital that offers a full emergency service.

It was obvious that this would happen, but those responsible for restructuring the NHS didn't listen then. They need to listen now.

Adele Kain.

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