Letters

John Deacon Smith calls me a coward for not having tried to defend myself against accusations and that I am, in effect, a waste of money.

Well I suppose he is partly right. I admit I am afraid and, until now, I have not had the courage to say so.

I am afraid of people who judge me and others on the basis of knowing nothing at all about me. I am afraid of people who, rather than look at their own attitudes and prejudices, would prefer to act in a way which appears to be designed to cause me hurt and distress.

Of course, I am not supposed to 'take it personally' or else I am supposed to be 'strong enough to take it on the chin'.

Well, let me say to the very small minority of you who seem to delight in destructive comments directed at me and my colleagues, that it hurts me. It hurts me a lot.

I am not perfect, far from it, but I do care passionately about the people who work with me and about the people we serve. While, in common with most people, I don't like being criticised, I can cope with being constructively told I have made a mistake. However, I find it abusive to be told, in effect, that I am a mistake.

It seems to me that it ought to be possible for the NHS, with its many skilled staff, clinicians, managers and others, to work out that everyone, whether chief executive or not, will probably perform better if they feel they are likely to be challenged in a supportive rather than destructive way.

We would all do well to remember that we get the leaders we deserve.

David Selway, Chief executive, Phoenix trust, Bristol.