Barnet and North Middlesex Hospitals are saddled with huge private finance initiative (PFI) loans. (‘Hospitals should join, claim MPs’, Enfield Independent, June 15.) With Chase Farm Hospital being free of any such schemes, is it any wonder both hospital trusts would like to be management linked with Chase Farm Hospital, to take advantage of its assets of land and customers where the money follows the patient.

We were promised when Chase Farm and Barnet were joined together under the management of one trust it would not affect either hospital, it was just to cut costs in administration.

Chase Farm was then held back, saddled with Barnet Hospital debts, then some of Chase Farm assets were taken in a land sale for private housing, further sales of land were stopped by the objections of Save Chase Farm Group and the council.

Now it seems two Enfield MPs would have Chase Farm married to North Middlesex instead of Barnet Hospital with eyes on selling more land at Chase Farm to benefit North Middlesex this time, and maybe provide more services in the community?

Promises to retain A&E and maternity services at Chase Farm lead to the question whether it would be a 24/7 major A&E or minor A&E with fewer hours.

Once North Middlesex had extended its maternity service provision how long would it be before they planned to slide these services and customers over to North Middlesex hospital.

Ivy Beard
Littlebrook Gardens, Cheshunt