I REFER to Oliver Letwin’s column ‘Hospital’s turnaround in a year’, (Echo, November 27).

Mr Letwin, in my opinion, is a good, local MP and Dorset County Hospital is a good hospital, but we all should seek to improve, praise, and not be afraid to criticise.

Mr Letwin criticises the previous board. I was an independent member who even received a code of conduct warning drawn up by a solicitor for speaking to the Echo about issues.

I would speak up for patients on many issues, for some of them were sick, frightened and vulnerable and would talk to me but not to the authorities.

I would like to give my unbiased view on the crisis that hit Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

The chief executive Jan Bergman and the chairman Robin Sequeira were decent people who tried to give the people of the area a good hospital, trying to improve the services of the hospital for the benefit of patients.

Yes, mistakes were made, but all managers should have earned their money by better governance.

Sick rates at the hospital were far too high, costing millions in agency fees. Every time a small rise is given to staff it is another £4million at least.

Mr Bergman was a dedicated, patient-orientated man, who I heard many times state he wished the hospital to become a centre of excellence for patients. He employed extra consultants – he did not wish another shocking Stafford hospital scandal to happen locally on his watch.

Mr Sequeira, who I fell out with on a regular basis was also a hard working man trying always to improve the hospital.

Mr Letwin is wrong when he states the previous board tried to set their sights too high in trying to always improve the services for local people. We should always set our sights high, that is the way forward.

Let us remember what MPs were doing at the same time of the expenses scandal.

Yes, mistakes were made, but I feel the truth should be told. Mr Sequeira and Mr Bergman were good people who tried to do their best to make Dorchester hospital better for local people. Surely Mr Letwin, we should all aim for that.

DSL JULIAN, Old Castle Road, Weymouth