Curing the NHS

tHereSA mAY has promised a £20 billion boost for the NHS (mail). But money has been thrown at the health service by successive governments for years without much improvement.

the problem is one of organisation. NHS trusts need to ensure that, apart from UK citizens, no one is given treatment unless they can prove they can pay, as occurs in most european countries.

this is simple enough to do: at the point of asking for treatment, insurance documents must be shown or passports surrendered. the trusts have an army of managers and penpushers who could deal with this.

treatment must be limited to those who are ill. Gender re-assignment for convicted criminals and cosmetic surgery, unless needed medically, should not be available on the NHS.

trusts must look at the vast amount of money wasted on expensive procurement of equipment and out-sourced services.

We should re- open convalescent homes for people who are well enough to leave hospital, but not fit enough to fend for themselves.

Mrs gINA WAtSON, Orgiva, Spain.