The NHS has become a secular god that politicians dare not touch

SIR – Robin Hawdon (Letters, August 25) writes that “politicians have to grasp that a good NHS could not be free to all without huge tax increases”. Most sensible politicians are aware of this. However, in our secular society the unreformed NHS is the new God.

Thus, at the last election, pollsters warned the main parties they might forfeit the election if they hinted at increased private-sector involvement. Rather than believing in politicians, the public believes those in the NHS with a vested interest in the status quo.

Until a tsunami of demand finally swamps the NHS, no politician dare announce it is now unfit for purpose. Tom Benyon Chairman, Milton Keynes Health Authority, 1989-94 Bladon, Oxfordshire SIR – My wife and I took out private medical insurance in the late Seventies. We religiously paid the premiums, which rose annually. Now in our late seventies, in reasonably good health, having made minimal claims, our joint annual premium has risen to over £7,000.

None of our contributions have ever been tax-deductible. Had we put the money in the bank we would now have a sizeable sum.

If either of us need a heart bypass we’d save the NHS £50,000 or more. As pensioners it would be nice to set some of our premiums against tax. Duncan Rayner Sunningdale, Berkshire SIR – Why on earth does my home city need six fully managed “trusts”, each with a CEO and board, with medical, clinical and nursing directorates, a human resources directorate, finance department etc? This is for many fewer beds and services than were provided by just one district health authority before Ken Clarke’s reforms.

We need an immediate independent Royal Commission on the NHS, chaired by someone who understands organisational costs and staffing. Ken Orme Liverpool SIR – Last weekend we had a need for urgent but not emergency medical help. Avoiding 111, which might have told us what to do, and the besieged local A&E, we took a taxi to a walk-in centre early on Sunday.

We expected sensible triage delivered by a nurse and we received it. To our pleasant satisfaction we also had a prompt diagnosis from a local general practitioner attending the centre, and treatment laced with a dose of common sense – which we normally have from our own GPs.

Well-informed patients will easily understand what walk-in centres offer. Dr John Curran East Leake, Nottinghamshire SIR – I had a growth on an eyelid, and then a skin problem. On neither occasion could I get an appointment with a consultant for many weeks.

That was no use to me, so I had to go private. How do I reclaim the fees from the NHS? Alan Kibblewhite Temple Grafton, Warwickshire