Letter: 'Slow death' of St Bartholomew's: tragic or beneficial?

Sir: As someone who followed a father to St Bartholomew's hospital over 50 years ago (and whose family contributed substantially to the cost of his medical education), and who held his first two much coveted resident posts there at six- month salaries of pounds 50 and pounds 75 each; who knew nurses trained and employed at such salaries as a charity could afford with open doors to patients at all times, it is a matter of great sadness that progress in health care brings doom to a great institution after 870 years (report, 16 December).

I know I must accept the economic and political necessity. But would it not be possible to be told now to what purpose the site will be used, and whether at least some evidence of its long history and the sentiment it stirs will not be lost? Observing how well successive Health Ministers have understood the morale of doctors over this half-century, I would say that it has never been so ill as today.

Yours faithfully,

ANTHONY ALMENT

Boughton,

Northamptonshire

16 December