Doctors deserve some time off

Sir, - Ian Allen ( letters, January 11) castigates GPs for only consulting between 8am and 6pm five days a week and enjoying long weekends over the festive period, and implies that they should be available 24 hours a day, 52 weeks of the year.

Is Mr Allen available to work these hours in his chosen profession?

I doubt it, and I know of no one else who is.

Doctors, like everyone else, are entitled to a family life with time off to enjoy it.

If we go back to the days when they were on call 24 hours a day the current recruitment and retention levels will become untenable and in many practices this has already become the case.

Even if they had been on duty over the festive period, the majority of flu victims would have been told to go home and have a hot drink , with serious cases being referred to hospital, which A&E departments did anyway.

Incidentally, a five-day week working 8am to 6pm comes to 50 hours. George Dobbie.

51 Airlie Street, Alyth.