Haworth man Paul Anderson, a member of the Multiple Sclerosis Society's national executive, has condemned as a waste of time a Keighley public meeting called to debate the new-look NHS.

He says the 20 minutes people had to question a panel of experts last Friday was not enough.

The meeting at Keighley College was chaired by Keighley MP Ann Cryer. The publicised intention was to allow people to quiz the experts on the future of the health service locally, and to give Mrs Cryer the chance to hear concerns which she would pass on to the government.

But Mr Anderson says the large crowd present was told within minutes of arriving that the meeting would have to finish by 9pm. He says there was insufficient time to allow the experts to do more than touch the surface of proposed changes.

A spokesperson for Mrs Cryer says there were difficulties finding a suitable venue and the time limit was set by the college. But she says the well attended meeting was only the beginning of the consultation process.

The gathering was told the Government had set targets for reducing deaths from heart disease and stroke, cancer, accidents and suicide. And the NHS locally will provide services in line with this.

Mr Anderson claims people with multiple sclerosis, a condition affecting the central nervous system, are being denied the expensive treatment now available on cost grounds.

"The NHS is catering only for the many, not the few," he claims. "If you are going to provide a health service it should be for everyone."

He says if there is a genuine wish to find out what people really think about the NHS then meetings should be focussed on specialist interests. "Those who shout the loudest and have the largest number of people get the attention," he says. "I didn't think the meeting was very productive."

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