I REFER to the article “Campaigners to march for Ward Six” (Echo, Oct 20) and the statement, “Angry residents and staff grilled County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust bosses over the proposed closure plans on Thursday night” and the exhortations from County Councillor Joy Allen not only to join the march but also to attend the meeting of the County Council’s Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee, to be held in County Hall, Durham City at 9.30am on November 15.

Having being an inveterate campaigner for over 40 years, for what was the then Bishop Auckland General Hospital with full A&E services, I attended the public meeting and spoke in favour of retaining Ward Six and was looking forward to attending the scrutiny meeting.

However, I am appalled that the meeting is to be held in Durham.

We are once again fighting for the retention of services in Bishop Auckland, this time for Ward Six, why therefore, are the Labour-controlled council, who are represented on the trust governors by Cllr Allen, not holding the scrutiny meeting in Bishop Auckland Town Hall?

Why should the people of Bishop Auckland be disadvantaged in mounting a public protest?

Billy Neilson, Bishop Auckland