We, the GPs of Enfield Town, Bush Hill Park and other practices serving more than 37,000 patients, as well as the residents of Enfield, want to continue with similar frontline services of both Chase Farm Hospital and Barnet General Hospital sites as the preferred option.

Given the rising population and increasing birth rate, we want an expanded and fully equipped maternity unit as well as modern neonatal unit.

We are very supportive of the trust gaining foundation status as soon as possible. With regard to the receipts of any impending land sales on the Chase Farm Hospital site, we believe that it should be ring-fenced to ensure appropriate re-investment in any future hospital building programme, or failing this primary care infrastructure or services.

We would like to receive a written undertaking from the Secretary of State for Health — Andrew Lansley MP, to ensure this will happen and will be immune from any future legal challenge.

Recently a report from BEH Hospital Trust has been made available to the public domain through the Freedom of Information Act which has subjected all four options, including the preferred option, to the four standard criteria and clearly the latter option appears to be cheaper by around £15 million.

We hope Andrew Lansley will take this into account before he makes his final decision over the fate of Chase Farm Hospital.

Dr Michael Gocman, Abernethy House
Dr Tim Ridge, Carlton House
Dr Patrick Keating, Southbury Surgery
Dr M Theivendra, Town Surgery
Dr U Sarkar, Lincoln Road Medical Practice
Dr Mark Dissanayke, Bincote Surgery
Dr Carl Chang, Bush Hill Park Medical Practice