I must congratulate city councillor Susanna Pressel on being the consummate politician.

Her latest letter, NHS targets do work (Oxford Mail, June 4) again demonstrates the spin 'New' Labour desires to inflict upon the electorate over NHS targets.

She again ignores the staff at the sharp end, ignores the cost and administration burden and, more importantly, ignores the needs of the patients.

Ms Pressel seems to have difficulty understanding a simple concept. While targets are designed to achieve a positive outcome for patients, no investigations had been done by the Primary Care Trust into the effects on staff, cost, administration and importantly on patients. Yes, patients are being seen more quickly, but some have to be re-admitted because in haste, symptoms are missed.

Staff are under immense pressure to meet targets, irrespective of the patients' need, and the extra cost incurred through meeting those targets means funds are being diverted from other areas of the PCT budget.

Ms Pressel has not once responded to the needs of the patient to receive a proper service. She has not once responded to the effects on staff at the PCT and she cannot comment on the risk to patients by speeding up the process.

I asked the PCT at the health scrutiny committee meeting if any survey or investigations were done to establish the full impact on the staff, cost and patients. The answer was no.

The committee agreed to implement a survey and as far as I know, that survey has yet to be published.

Ms Pressel, in the meantime, wants us to forego the PCT investigations and believe her unofficial straw poll, held no doubt with a few of her pet contacts, with whom she is involved in other projects, and one which no doubt includes anecdotal evidence rather than the factual evidence which should be forthcoming from the PCT.

Until the findings of the PCT are made public, it is facile for her to continue to spin the targets story.

I would like her to push for the results of the investigation (rather than her own self interest agenda) to be made public as soon as possible to put this issue to bed.

Staff and patients would then be able to be comforted knowing that targets are being implemented that work, that do not cripple services, and do not put some patients at risk for the benefit of political expedience.

ANDREW MacGREGOR

Burrows Close, Headington, Oxford