Letters

I completely support Usman Khan's views about public consultation ('Up and ATAM', pages 32-33, 30 April).

There is little doubt that pressure on health authorities to practise good public consultation will increase.

Primary responsibility for getting it right rests more with HAs than with other players, and this has implications for HA organisation and skills. For example, many HAs appear not to have a dedicated public relations or communications resource even though most of their work is external.

Manchester HA has had extensive experience of public consultation in the past three years and we can offer two suggestions. First, think about the most appropriate way of communicating: to give one local example, the complex issues surrounding a consultation on children's services were reduced to a 20minute video to help get across the key strategic issues. Second, resolving big strategic issues will often necessitate HAs compromising: support for the closure of a large district general hospital in Manchester involved reaching agreement on 43 associated issues with the community health council.

As Usman Khan points out, the future will test HAs' public consultation abilities significantly. The impact of this on the internal organisation, style and skills of HAs should not be underestimated.

Neil Goodwin, Chief executive, Manchester health authority.