Having just read your headline story ("Hospital's Fate Sealed", March 22) about the future of Epsom Hospital I am totally outraged.

Since October last year I have received the following relevant responses to my many letters to the Department of Health and the local trust, expressing concern over the serious downgrading of vital services at Epsom.

The Department of Health October 2, 2006, wrote: "Epsom A&E will remain open and deal with the majority of patients that attend".

If so, why are ambulances now going to St Helier from September 29?

The chairman of the trust November 6, 2006, wrote: "The (review) changes were about providing better quality care and investing in our health service, not reducing short-term costs by cutting services... our staff and I are committed to improving and strengthening provision."

By cutting the use of light bulbs, I suppose?

On February 26, 2007, the chief executive of the trust wrote: "It is our intention to improve efficiency at the same time as improving the quality of our services by reducing waste and operating more effectively". This was followed by a later statement to the effect that "the recovery plan includes reducing the number of posts over a period of time".

With reference to possible closure, he wrote: ".There are no plans for this, though there is a Surrey Fit for the Future Review of hospital services.

So that's it then, is it? Despite written, but ambiguous assurances, when the chips finally come down, Surrey PCT has "no interest" in maintaining our local hospital as fully functioning. Of course this decision is not really a decision because they're playing a waiting game with our services. I dread to think what will happen to us Epsom folk if Sir Adrian White is not successful in buying the site.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on page five, I see that the same trust has managed to profit from their car parking charges last year to the tune of over £1million and that a spokesman says this money will go into supporting frontline services. Really? Then perhaps we can now keep the 480 staff earmarked in cuts and restore all the light bulbs.

Their antics would be funny if they weren't so offensively sad.

DR TED BAILEY Larkspur Way Ewell