Our broken NHS

WHEN I was diagnosed with a basal cell cancer above my right eye, my Gp warned me that the maximum waiting time for hospital treatment could be 18 weeks.

But the dermatology unit at Basildon and thurrock Hospitals has written to tell me that ‘due to unforeseen circumstances’, I will have to wait 25 weeks.

there seems to be no linked-up plan to get the NHS out of its mess, just more promises that do not fix the many problems.

We need a root cause analysis that would identify what is wrong, make priorities and then get on with fixing the issues. It seems that everyone is worried about the broken NHS, except the Government.

J. R. MUIR, Rayleigh, Essex. I have worked in the NHS all my life and so have many of my family, including my children. politicians from all sides are missing the key issue: it’s not all about funding, it’s about how the money is spent.

My mother has heart atrial fibrillation that can only be resolved with an operation. For the past two years, every two weeks she has had a turn due to this condition and has to call 999 for an ambulance. She is treated in A&e and has to stay overnight on a ward until her heart is regulated.

this has happened at least 30 times while she waits for a fairly simple operation, but there is a lack of trained staff to do this in the UK.

I would hate to think what the cost of this has been compared to sending her for a private operation or even abroad, and what could have been done with the money saved.

Name and address supplied.