I WRITE with reference to your article entitled Anger at PCT Policy on Family Planning in your issue of July 14.

I was particularly interested to see the comments made by Dr Paul Jackman, medical director for the Primary Care Trust: "The Professional Executive Committee, whose members are practising doctors and other clinicians, looked at services which could be reduced without affecting people who are ill."

Members of the Professional Executive Committee are appointed to their position and are not representatives of General Practice or other health care professions.

The only organisation that has elected representatives for General Practitioners is the local medical committee.

This medical committee covers the whole of Wiltshire and has four elected General Practice representatives from the west Wiltshire area. This committee was not asked for its opinion on the proposed removal of sterilisation from available procedures but did discuss the matter at its meeting on July 19.

The committee was of the opinion that the removal of these procedures was:

1. Highly inappropriate.

2. Unlikely to save much money (as the procedures are relatively inexpensive).

3. Not in keeping with available clinical evidence that suggests they are good value for money.

4. Probably not within the legal regulations of the National Health Service.

I feel it is important to point out to all your readers that the vast majority of General Practitioners within west Wiltshire and the wider Wiltshire area would not agree that the removal of these services was either appropriate or cost effective.

DR P Phillips, Whitley