NHS was struggling even before Covid-19

ALL we have heard from the government since Covid struck is we have to protect the NHS and protect lives.

I am sorry, but the NHS is no longer fit for purpose and was struggling long before Covid struck.

I have nothing but the deepest admiration and gratitude to all NHS staff, but the NHS itself is not the shining beacon the government holds it up to be.

How can it possibly cope with a population that is increasing all the time? Immigrants will inevitably end up adding more pressure on to our NHS.

Now we are taking in 20,000 Afghans due to the crisis in that country and I have no doubt this will end up being more.

I notice the UK is taking in far more Afghans than any other country, including the USA and Canada and Australia, which are huge countries, and far more than any other European country.

I accept that some people are going to respond to my letter by saying I am heartless and the UK has a duty to assist in a humanitarian crisis.

But remember we have our own ex-military personnel sleeping rough when they have served our country with distinction. How can that possibly be right?

I am trying to point out that the NHS is under pressure now and had been before Covid.

Nurses etc are leaving the NHS as they feel under pressure and not appreciated. Clapping the NHS staff does not pay their bills and a 1 per cent pay rise was insulting, especially after hearing the government keep saying how wonderful the NHS is.

If it does not affect members of the government/MPs personally then they are not interested. I doubt very much they struggle to see a doctor or have to wait hours and hours at A&E to be treated as the working class do.

It is going to get even worse unless more hospitals are built to accommodate the increasing population.

We have 14 million people waiting to have one sort of medical procedure or another.

So I again say to our government, please put things right here now before we end up in an even more dire situation with the health service than currently exists.

I will not hold my breath.

Martyn Shepherd, Thurmaston