Dear Editor,

I wonder if Aldi Stores or Somerset Council will concern themselves with the fact that the application to build yet another supermarket opposite Westpark will sandwich an established children’s nursery between the Westpark roundabout and the car park of the proposed development.

The detrimental impact of the development on our young children’s health through air pollution is obvious and surely should be refused.

The decision will be a measure of our local and central councils care for the local community.

Regards,

David Mather

Dear Editor,

I just read your article by John Thorne about the smooth transfer to Wellington Medical Centre from Luson Surgery. He states that after four weeks we could switch our care to another nearby GP Practice.

But Blackdown Practice Hemyock and Lister House in Wiveliscombe will not accept patients outside their catchment area which is all of Wellington. So unless you can find a practice in Taunton unfortunately you do not have a choice.

Andrea Jales

Dear Editor,

I am ahead of Tim Lomas (letters, Friday, August 1) in that I wrote to the Co-op, with whom I bank and shop, to ask whether the rumours of their stance on Israeli produce is correct. Paul Gerrard, Director of Campaigns, Public Affairs and Policy (I’ll bet you didn’t know a Grocer has such a person on its Board!) has replied after a month, to confirm that this is so: but also, to cite other Countries with which the Co-op refuses to trade: including Yemen, where the children are genuinely starving, and their adjacent parents in the photographs are not well-fed!

I bank with the Co-op, because I want my savings to be protected. I shop with the Co-op, because they have smaller shops, in locations convenient for us. The problem with adopting a stance of moral superiority, is that it sends a signal of exclusion to those of its customers who do not share the Pharisaic, morally-superior, tone adopted by the Co-op. It appears I lack the moral and ethical qualities required to shop in, and bank with, the Co-op. Marxist mission-creep means that the Co-op is no longer, simply, a Bank, or a Grocer: but is an entire political creed. One to which I do not subscribe.

To this old customer, the Co-op is signalling its support for those who continue to hold hostages in Gaza; adding to the atrocities they committed on October 7, 2023. Israel’s equivalent to Dr David Starkey, the historian Daniel Shueftan, is uncompromising in his description of what is involved in such virtue-signalling. It is signalling a preference for “barbarism” over “civilisation”.

Sincere regards,

Mark Dyer

Wiveliscombe

Dear Editor,

What is it with Wellington? It’s an ever expanding town with hundreds of new houses being built, yet we have no banks or Post Office and only one secondary comprehensive school.

Now it seems that we’re about to lose one of our doctors surgeries and the pharmacy next to it. I do understand the reasons behind this decision but Luson has been in town for ever and I for one can’t fault them.

Considering the problems that have been thrown at them since COVID they’ve been brilliant, doctors, nurses and all other staff, I can’t fault them. The Medical centre say that the transferral of all the patients will go smoothly, well of course they are going to say that.

I’ve spoken to people who are at the medical centre and they say it’s a nightmare trying to get through on the phone so it’s bound to get a lot worse. Having the app to make appointments and reorder repeat prescriptions would help, but for them to take on over 6,000 extra patients is obviously going to make any dealings with them exceedingly difficult.

Apparently they are looking into trying to get money to build another surgery which will possibly end up out of town. Why not invest the money into upgrading Luson by bringing it into the 21st century? Or could it not be possible for everything to be transferred to the Cottage Hospital? Just a thought .

Kim Thorne

Mantle Street

Dear Editor,

The news that Wellington’s long-hoped-for railway station is finally to become a reality is cause for real celebration. But it is only fair to acknowledge that this outcome owes much to the years of determined and behind-the-scenes work by Rebecca Pow during her time as our MP.

While the current MP is understandably keen to welcome the announcement, the truth is that most of the hard graft had already been done. Ms Pow brought together local councils, transport bodies, and government departments to build a serious business case — something that had eluded campaigners for decades. Her petition and public meeting in 2016 helped turn community support into political momentum.

Without her leadership and persistence over nine years, we would not be where we are today. It is right that the town celebrates this achievement — but let’s also remember those who did the heavy lifting to get us here.

Ronald Lansdell

Stoke St Mary

An open letter has been sent to MP Gideon Amos.

Not quite sure why you are spending your time and resources on providing a railway station in Wellington when we have a serious healthcare situation due to the closure of Luson doctors surgery and no NHS dentistry. If you can find £10-million plus for a train station then why not spend that money wisely on providing better healthcare for the people of Wellington.

There is nowhere to go now for a doctor or a dentist in Wellington yet I can travel seven miles to Taunton or Tiverton Parkway for a train. I live out in the countryside so even if there is a station in Wellington I will need to get in my car.

Why don’t you try phoning the Medical Centre to make an appointment and see what people have to put up with and thats before the patients are transferred from Luson? My wife and I transferred from the Medical Centre to Luson as the service there is so much better than the Medical Centre. We don’t mind if the premises are a little run down, the service from all the staff has been exemplary.

What it will mean is that we are paying twice for our medical care, the doctors are being paid for our patient records on their books, but we will have to go to A&E for any service.

With best wishes,

Paul Brunsch

Westford, Wellington

A open letter has been sent to MP Gideon Amos

I am writing as an acutely ill patient of Luson Surgery.

I learned on July 31 that a decision had been taken to close the Luson Surgery on Friday, September 26, and all patients will be transferred to The Wellington Medical Centre Mantle Street Wellington Somerset, and are not to contact Wellington Medical Centre until Monday, September 29. I understand Luson surgery and Wellington Medical Centre are to have a gradual transition. However, I’m sure there will be an enormous influx of enquiries and despite Wellington Medical Centre placing extra staff to handle this, I’m at a loss to know how they’ll cope especially given their already poor reputation.

With new housing estates already built, or being completed in Jurston Fields and Monument View, with 100s more proposed properties in the pipeline. The strain on our local resources is enormous and in particular on an already stretched NHS.

When I first moved to Wellington almost eight years ago, I thoroughly researched both The Wellington Medical Centre and Luson surgeries. The reviews and the conversations with local people at the time, were detrimental to The Wellington Medical Centre. Over the years those patients attached to The Wellington Medical Centre have continued to have negative experiences. The Boots Pharmacy attached to the Wellington Centre is now permanently closed. I joined Luson Surgery at the end of 2017.

Despite having had excellent medical care from Receptionists, Nurses, Clinicians and GPs, particularly since becoming seriously ill, I have been closely and regularly monitored, with excellent communication between Luson Surgery and Musgrove Park Hospital, since 2021.

My extreme concern is, with hundreds of patients being transferred to the already poorly rated Wellington Medical Centre, with no seemingly additional health professionals transferring, everyone’s care is in jeopardy.

I’m aware the decision has already been taken, and I have been led to believe problems with the premises or finding an alternative was, in part, behind the decision. I was absolutely shocked and disgusted to hear staff had not a single warning they were to lose their jobs. In my view this is not only a cowardly approach but shows complete contempt for a hard working dedicated team at Luson Surgery.

I urge you to please have conversations together to see whether an alternative outcome will be at all possible in the very near future.

Thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Vivienne de Swarte

Wellington