THE report on the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) (The Press, November 25) was interesting primarily for the absence of comment by Julian Sturdy MP.

This is along with the “weasel” words about consultation on it by Cllr Paul Doughty, both members of the Conservative Party, whose government has lied consistently about wishing to destroy that National Health Service, as was confirmed on the same day by reports describing the plans Margaret Thatcher had and that she also lied by stating “the NHS is safe with us”.

The STP is a cover for facilitating at least £420 million of cuts to the NHS, by what means are yet to be revealed, and along with the devastating cuts to local government bring social care to crisis levels.

Whatever consultation is carried out will be about where in the vast footprint covered by the STP the cuts will take place and not how much.

STPs in other areas have revealed the closure of accident and emergency departments, along with whole hospitals. The local STP is strangely quiet on this.

York has seen health and mental health failure on a vast scale as a result of the Lib Dem/Tory coalition introduced Health and Social Care Act 2012 – this is but the latest, and possibly final, nail in the coffin of the once internationally renowned National Health Service.

Dr Mick Phythian, On behalf of Defend Our NHS York, Monkton Road, York