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An excellent practice

My husband and I are avid readers of your paper, but we were stunned to read the reports regarding Moredon Medical Centre, which is the reason why we are writing to you.

My husband has been a patient of the practice for 74 years, and I since a child when the practice was in Empire House. The practice first started at the bottom of Victoria Hill (next to House of Flowers), then the practice went to Regent Street, Empire House, Queen’s Park and Moredon Surgery, and now we are very lucky to have a purpose built medical centre.

The practice was started by Doctors O’Grady, O’Connell, O’Conner, Quigley and Nicholus, followed by Doctors Alder, Gibbs (husband and wife), Nath and other doctors that work in the practice carrying on a most brilliant practice that is still running for everyone.

In all the years that we have been with the practice we have never found fault. The doctors, nurses and all the other staff work tirelessly and are top class, they are always helpful and will always listen to what you have to say.

We just don’t understand what people have got to complain about. Let’s face it Swindon has grown considerably, and therefore so has the numbers of patients that the doctors have on their lists and Moredon has 50,000 patients. And they don’t just cover Moredon.

As the old saying goes “Patience is a virtue”; they will answer and will help. Always remember you are not the only patient to be heard, and with all the patients they have, no wonder they are so busy.

Mr and Mrs Baughn

Spindle Tree Court

Pinehurst

Swindon

‘New order’ looks old

Re: Nick Le Bosquet’s letter in Monday’s Ader (21 Jan). He wrote “the time is overdue for a new political party” but the party he says he wants would be an appalling rehash of what has gone before.

At best it would be irrelevant and at worst it would multiply the problems faced by ordinary people.

People in Britain have suffered austerity policies which shifted wealth massively into the pockets of a rich minority. Some 14 million are now in poverty, 1.5 million are destitute, child poverty stands at around 4.5 million today and is increasing.

Workers’ wages have declined while the rich minority which crashed the economy has got richer.

At the same time hard won services, including but not exclusively schools and hospitals continue to suffer cuts and privatisation. We still see immigrants blamed by media and politicians for these problems although they have nothing to do with causing them (The classic racist “divide and rule” distraction).

Yet Mr Le Bosquet doffs his cap to Nigel Farage, an ex commodity speculator in the city who always supported austerity, often saying the Tories should cut even harder. Jeremy Corbyn had it right when he pointed to the common problems of remain voters in Tottenham and leave voters in Mansfield saying “You’re up against it but you’re not against each other.”

Unlike Mr Le Bosquet or Mr Farage, Mr Corbyn talked about low pay, debt and insecurity, and the need for an alternative.

Peter Smith

Woodside Avenue

Swindon