Janet Knowles, head of midwifery at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, has taught me a new definition of 'close' when she talks about the leaked plans to shut the breast-feeding clinic (Oxford Mail, September 6).

The plan is not to 'close' the clinic. Apparently it is to extend it. Oh good, I thought. More sessions. That'll be great.

But alas no. Ms Knowles explains further what she means by not closing the clinic. She says: "This may mean that the JR-based sessions will move to a community base."

Why not be honest and say it as it is? There is a plan to close the breast-feeding clinic and rely on community-based initiatives.

When at the clinic I heard many times heavy criticism of the advice given at some of the breast-feeding clinics in the community.

I expect that many mums who, like me, went to the JR clinic were grateful for the hands-on expertise of the staff. So the next time anybody wants to get away with closing a valued life-saving service, all they need to do is define the service in terms of an activity and not a place. Brilliant.

Plain English, please, Ms Knowles. Tell us exactly what the positive aspects are of closing the clinic at the JR - don't try and rebrand the closure as a relocation.

ALISON EDEN, Lime Walk, Headington, Oxford