Sore throat test

sir – Dr Tony Mcallister (Letters, April 11) asks why quick tests for diagnosing sore throats are not available at GPS.

We have recently returned from Austria where two of our daughters had sore throats tested in the local doctor’s surgery. The doctor took a pin prick of blood, which was then analysed to detect whether they were suffering from a viral or bacterial infection. It took less than two minutes and on receipt of the results appropriate medication was administered.

What concerned us was how amazed we were that such “modern” medicine existed. Clearly our NHS is something out of the third world. Rachel Butterworth

Andover, Hampshire

sir – The Longitude Committee decided to award a substantial amount of money to the person or team who devised a simple, fast and cheap test to distinguish between viral and bacterial infection.

Has the prize been awarded? Dr PE Pears

Coleshill,warwickshire