When walking is best possible prescription

I TAKE my hat off to Doctor Victor Jack. Instead of prescribing another prescription for anxiety, he provided his 84-year-old patient Jim Snodgrass with the telephone number for the Ramblers. Mr Snodgrass has walked over 2,000 miles in a year, along with making friends and enhancing his social life, which is greatly beneficial, especially when we have all had varying issues with our mental health.

Like Mr Snodgrass, I take every opportunity to walk many of the beautiful areas the county has to offer, armed with waterproofs, flask, binoculars and camera to photograph the scenery and sights before it becomes a concrete metropolis, with no natural boundaries.

Mr Snodgrass stated that he walks four to five miles a day, which I suspect makes him sleep better at night.

But as Dr Malik stated from his surgery in Sherwood (“Action needed to tackle ‘deluge’ of patients for GPS”, Post, April 27), doctors need to get back to interacting one-to-one with patients, rather than just telephoning and posting repeat prescriptions without reviews. And trhey need to carry out physical examinations now that further restrictions have been lifted. I suspect some doctors will differ, as it is quick and convenient.

Walking is the cheapest way to get fit and socialise, without having to purchase expensive equipment and technology or joining bingo communities or online dating.

So I say to Mr Snodgrass: keep enjoying your new prescription, which I suspect a lot others would appreciate rather than drugs. Tony Morris

Carlton