I RESPOND to Michael Broadbent's question about who should claim the credit for saving the stroke rehabilitation service at Bishop Auckland hospital (HAS, Feb 4).

I would suggest that this decision was purely based on political pressure (local more than national) rather than what Dr Neil O'Brien said in the Clinical Commissioning Group press release. I have no proof, but I don't think there is any real question as to why they came to this decision.

I was really surprised to read in Michael's letter that the North West Durham MP Richard Holden joined with Bishop Auckland’s Dehenna Davison in thanking the CCG for its decision. This must be a case of Tory MPs sticking together despite the needs of their constituents.

It is very unlikely that stroke patients living in the north west of Durham will want to go to Bishop Auckland for stroke rehabilitation. Their needs would have been best met by having stroke rehabilitation co-located with the hyper-acute stroke unit in Durham which the consultation was proposing.

On a personal basis, I am very sad that the Durham CCGs did not have the courage of their convictions to see this consultation through.

Name and address supplied, County Durham.