READERS have been inundating the South Bucks Star offices with their support for the Don't Do It, Hewitt campaign launched last week to safeguard A & E services at Wycombe Hospital.

Nearly 200 people have already written in urging Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt to block any future plans to transfer accident and emergency services from the hospital on Queen Alexandra Road to Stoke Mandeville in Aylesbury.

The fresh campaign was launched by editor Steve Cohen in the wake of the news that Bucks Hospitals' NHS Trust announced more changes could be forced on it by order of the Department of Health.

Angela Fraser, of Totteridge Lane, High Wycombe, has put her name to the campaign. She said: "Wycombe not only serves the needs of its own large population, but also serves other satellite towns. Wycombe is the hub of the M40/M4 on the route to and from London and Birmingham. It is essential that the population does not have to travel unnecessary miles in order to receive accident and emergency treatment.

"Billions that has been pumped into the NHS has been wasted on the new centralised computer system. Is more money going to be wasted on over-centralising the health system rather than improving what is already in place?"

Hospital radio broadcaster Mike Tomich, who lives in Sandford Gardens, High Wycombe, asked the question "what is the nearest hospital to the M40?"

He said: "I know from walking around the wards that people get in accidents on the motorway. It is nowhere near Aylesbury, that is for sure.

"They are encouraging more people to move to Wycombe but taking away services. What they are doing to medical services is disgusting.

"The stretch of road to Aylesbury is simply not suitable for ambulances to travel along regularly."

Pensioner June Tilley, of Churchill Close, Flackwell Heath, said the town would be hard pressed to cope without any A & E facilities.

She said: "The whole idea of closing Wycombe's A & E is mad. We are a huge catchment area, with numerous schools around. Say a child is injured playing sport. How is a mother, say at Marlow, possibly with other children, supposed to get to Aylesbury to see her offspring? There is no direct transport link."

Local health officials insist there is no plan to transfer A & E but have been unable to give any assurances for the future.