THE decision to close the surgical wing at Scorton hospital clearly took everybody by surprise. The extent of that shock has become manifest in the fortnight since it was announced. Affected staff and patients did not suspect a thing.

The way the Hospitaller Order of St John of God has handled the announcement has been quite brutal. Barely six weeks after what amounts to shock news, the operating theatres and associated ward will be closed and the staff made redundant. And, to rub salt into wounds, the decision comes only two-and-a-half months after assurances were given that the theatres' future was safe.

The handling of the closure announcement has hampered understanding of the reasons for closure and the Order's expressed intention to provide services for those with learning difficulties and special needs. Those services are unquestionably needed in this area and work in these fields may sit more comfortably with the Order's past than providing acute surgical facilities.

The decision may also have been influenced by factors beyond the Order's control. It is surely not a coincidence that it comes within a few weeks of the opening of the new Woodlands private hospital in Darlington. There is also the issue of Scorton's relative isolation. Almost equidistant between Darlington, Northallerton and Richmond, it is not the most accessible of places, with what can only be described as a modest bus service. Whether a patient or member of staff, getting to Scorton without a private car will always be a challenge.

Unfortunately, the Order's efforts to explain the decision have been lost in the outcry caused by the insensitive nature of the closure announcement. The monks have been much loved and respected in the area for their good work, a respect best expressed in the welcome the late Brother George received when he went on his frequent fundraising forays to licensed premises in the district.

Sadly some of that respect has been lost in this affair along with a great deal of staff goodwill. The Order needs to brush up its public relations.