It was with great interest I absorbed the article featuring David Astley in last week's edition.

I do not generally like fiction, but this was a masterclass in spin and misinformation bettered only by the best-selling "How to owe over £30 million but still be in the black" by Lord Gentile of Barking.

It takes real talent to greatly upset those most worthy champions of St George's, the Friends, whose tireless efforts never fail to impress. David Astley has achieved it spectacularly and then added: "We are continuing to work hard with the Friends to resolve these issues".

Allow me to translate for anyone not familiar with Astleyspeak: "We want you out ASAP, no ifs, no buts".

Clearly the opportunity to squander £2.5million of donated charitable funds to develop the front of St George's into a shopping centre should not be delayed by any act of compassion, decency or just fair play.

And just who wants this monstrosity built anyway? Were the staff consulted? I doubt whether more than 25 people took this decision out of some 5,500 who work there. I could make a list of better priorities to spend this amount of cash on but that might just benefit the patients and lead to a higher percentage exiting upright.

Decisions like these also call into question the role of the hospital charity trustees.

Finally, Mr Astley has played a central role in trying to close the staff social club and this is a fight that continues. It is a very complicated case and is far more deserving than the throwaway comment he uttered about occasional leaving parties. He might make an exception to that, however, if the next one was his.

In his tenure the morale of the staff in this very good hospital has plummeted and we are blighted by falling and failing Government assessments, health and safety scandals and poor news regarding hospital acquired infections. You judge how well the trust board has done against that background.

The trust chairman Naaz Coker is well versed in all these controversies and has ably supported Mr Astley in them all. I have read that she has just become the chairman of Shelter. Please let me help. I'm not overly sure that recent hard work in attempted evictions of the social club and the Friends is quite what Shelter was looking for.

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