Doubling up

I agREE with Maureen Tidbury (Letters) that the nHs needs a shake-up. I have been managing hospital appointments for my father and late mother in recent years, and it’s usual for two letters to be sent per appointment, each containing the same information but on different letterheads, so two departments are clearly doing the same job.

on a lighter note, when visiting my father last week, he appeared amused and told me some ‘interesting’ mail

had arrived from the nHs that morning. It was a letter addressed to my former fiance, inviting him to get a Covid jab. But he hasn’t lived at my parents’ address since we became disengaged and he returned to his home in France 43 years ago.

caTHerIne Laker, London e4. My MUM will be 96 in December. she has dementia, virtually no mobility and has been in care for six years, yet under my power of attorney I still receive letters inviting her for a smear test. There are no contact details for me to stop the letters.

I had to move her from one care home to another in May and a letter was sent to the new home within a month, so the nHs knows about her change of address but not, it seems, her age.

name supplied, Tadworth, Surrey. woULD you believe the latest way the nHs is trying to reduce waiting lists? sending letters to see if you still need your appointment, with a link attached. you need a laptop, smartphone or tablet to reply and when you do, it doesn’t work. you can’t phone (no number) and emails receive no reply, which means a cancelled appointment. Clever.

Sue STapLeS, east preston, w. Sussex.