FOLLOWING the recent coverage in the Hereford Times of the orthopaedic services being offered to local people and Henry Connor's letter making other observations, I write to set the record straight.

Contrary to the reports, services in orthopaedics have not been 'slashed' - we are continuing to provide just as many operations, indeed we have treated more orthopaedic patients recently.

The decision by the Primary Care Trust, in consultation with us, to restrict referrals for a short period has been done because our orthopaedic surgeons simply do not have the capacity to operate on all the patients being referred here.

Don't for one minute believe the hospital team is happy about this.

We have known for some time the resources coming to the hospital have been insufficient to allow the orthopaedic service to expand sufficiently.

We have now received confirmation from the Primary Care Trust they wish to buy more orthopaedic services and we are putting plans to expand the orthopaedic team and to convince the PCT to buy those services from the County Hospital.

That is good news for Herefordshire people.

Henry Connor's wider comments about the future of the hospital risk misleading your readers.

Times move on - we have recently taken the bold decision to abandon the outdated bed reduction plan and to expand the hospital - there is a strong future for the County Hospital.

We are in the process of recruiting more medical, nursing and therapy staff and are having very productive discussions, particularly in Wales, about developing further.

Those who read the Good Hospital Guide published by The Guardian this week will see an independent assessment of the hospital which puts us among the best. The speculation about our viability is not only unnecessary, it risks undermining the good work being done here.

Things at the County Hospital are not perfect and we are improving. Unfortunately, not everything is within our control and over the coming months we will begin our work to become a Foundation Hospital.

This will give us the freedom to move on even further, less restrained by some of the forces which so obviously hold us back.

I would like local people to get behind this hospital, not to feel a need to 'save' it. Get behind us by choosing to come here for treatment and care and by supporting our work to become a Foundation Trust.

David Rose,

Chief Executive, Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust.