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A pioneer... in its day
• I AM writing to address some mistakes in Tom Foot’s article on Finsbury Health Centre as I am concerned that Islington residents are going to get the wrong end of the stick (Pioneers’ dream centre that led the way for the National Health, August 15).
First, Finsbury Health Centre is not a polyclinic but, rather, as a health centre hosts GPs and community health services like podiatry and physiotherapy. The polyclinics proposed by Healthcare for London are much more advanced and will include services traditionally carried out in hospitals such as x-rays, ultrasounds and minor operations.
Finsbury Health Centre was pioneering… in 1938. Now 70 years later, the building is Grade 1-listed, beginning to crumble and costs £1.5million each year to maintain. Any changes or repairs have to be approved by English Heritage.
The Primary Care Trust (PCT) is responsible for providing NHS services; we’re not here to look after historic buildings.
I’d like to reassure residents that the GP practices are moving into a building next door in Pine Street, the services specifically for people local to Finsbury Health Centre will stay in the area and other services which serve the whole of Islington will remain within the borough. Islington PCT will be consulting local people on all of the proposed changes.
TONY HOOLAGHAN
Locality director, Islington Primary Care Trust
• I AM grateful to the NHS for the success of an emergency prostate gland operation at Whittington Hospital in 1993.
This was due to the teamwork between doctors, nurses, cooks and cleaning staff. A night nurse named Debbie was able to clear a blood clot without any fuss or bother.
Sadly, these days the only considerations are greedy profits and selling the undervalued land to property developers from all over the world.
Plus the doctor’s oath has been overlooked. It read: “May the ambition to amass wealth or goods not blind my eyes from proper vision.”
EDDIE SCILLOE
Kelross Road, N5
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