Meningitis is understandably but regrettably once again making headlines.

Your report (January 14) about the 20-year-old brother of a child who attends Westfield Infant School, although generally informative and factual, questioned the integrity of the headteacher.

Although your report quoted City of York Education Officer, Liz Jones, that the school had taken the appropriate action and Dr Patterson of York NHS Trust that "children at the school have no increased risk at all" your article implied that the school should have given parents confidential medical information about a young adult who does not attend our school.

The school had, in fact, been advised that its pupils and staff were at no increased risk of contracting the illness and that letters were not issued in the circumstances pertaining to this case.

Risk assessment and any subsequent advice about all infectious diseases can only properly be issued by the Health Authority. Only it has the knowledge to issue accurate facts, advise and inform parents, when this becomes necessary.

Obviously, our sympathies and thoughts are with the family concerned. Coverage such as the article, and comment printed by you can only cause distress to them and unnecessary worry to the parents of our pupils, by suggesting that important information had been withheld from them.

Marlene MacLellan,

Headteacher,

Westfield Infants School,

Askham Lane,

Acomb,

York.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.