Sir – On September 23, I attended the AGM of the Radciffe Hospitals NHS Trust and was very disappointed that the mainly self-glorificational nature of the event left little time for questions from the public.

Notice of the meeting in The Oxford Times had indicated “guest speakers”, but these turned out to be two internal presentations, so the agenda comprised 70 minutes of trust speakers and 20 minutes of public questioning. Since some of the questions were lengthy and received lengthy replies, only some half dozen were accommodated before the chairman brought the meeting to a perfunctory close. Perhaps in future years, the time could be split more evenly between presentations and questions, and if a guest speaker is to be engaged to encourage greater public attendance, then could their contribution follow and not curtail the formal business of the meeting.

Frank Bland, Oxford