Your report about the closure of St Bartholomew’s (News, page 5, 27 November) hints at a large hospital at Whitechapel under the private finance initiative. But this 1,000-plus bed project would be utterly blind to the health needs of east London and its development.

The Whitechapel site is crowded, impossible to get to because of traffic, on the edge of the City, and not where most people live or will live. By contrast, the relatively modern Homerton and Newham hospitals are amid their populations, could be expanded organically, and fit with potential population developments in the east London ‘corridor’.

A white elephant in Whitechapel would be nicely symbolic of the current chaos in London’s health.

Trevor Turner,

Medical director,

City & Hackney Community Services trust.

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