HEALTH Minister Simon Burns claims that the number of NHS managers in our region has fallen since May 2010 (Echo, May 25), after this number apparently doubled under Labour.

Under Labour, a new health centre opened in Stanley and hospital facilities increased tremendously in Chester-le- Street. Therefore, with the large increase of healthcare provision we needed more managers.

By criticising the increase in managers, the Government is trying to pull the wool over our eyes, just as it is when it says that the severity of the public spending cuts is necessary. The man on the street cannot know what is the optimum number of managers in the NHS, but the reduction in NHS managers announced by the Coalition will be a pretext to dangerous reforms.

Jeremy Whiting, Great Lumley.