Churchill would fight for NHS too

WELL done to the Mirror for highlighting the plight of our NHS. What I can’t understand is why the Conservatives are trying to undermine a service that might not exist were it not for Tory Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

In 1943, he made a speech about the vision of post-war Britain and spoke of the need to establish a national health service.

In the 1950s Churchill said the health service was “too good to destroy”. Yet today we see the NHS being torn apart by this Tory Government.

So, it’s up to the people to decide what they want – a health service there for everyone, or an Americanstyle system only for those who can afford to pay. Mick Rutland, Stockton-on-Tees I agree with Mirror readers that we could all pay a small tax to help our NHS – but it must go directly to front-line nursing and essential care jobs. It must not just disappear into pay rises for overstaffed consultancies and other bloodsucking medical agencies who use up money urgently needed by under-funded departments. Also, any such taxes should be matched by the Government so they aren’t let off the hook in their fiscal and moral duty to support the people’s NHS. Neil Atherton St Helens, Merseyside It’s disgraceful that the Daily Mirror is having to poll its readers to see if they are prepared to pay more tax in order to better fund the NHS when it should be properly funded according to its needs.

Surely we should be asking why we are paying tax to fund Trident and tax breaks for the superrich when the NHS is in dire need of more money? Shaun Shute Gloucester As a nurse, I know most of the blame for the state of the NHS lies with the Government, but what about compensation claims?

I am not talking about genuine surgical errors, but claims that should never even be considered. In one talk I attended, an A&E consultant listed some ridiculous claims with compensation amounting to thousands of pounds paid out. To me this is an abuse of the system. Name and address supplied I couldn’t believe what I was reading – “an NHS England planning document said it will inject £540 million into A&Es if they meet targets to improve” . (Mirror, Feb 3). Surely, the NHS needs an injection of cash in order to meet targets to improve? David Palmer Rochdale I am totally gobsmacked it was only 73% of Mirror readers who would pay an extra £1 a week for the NHS. It should have been a comprehensive 100%. I am a pensioner and would willingly give £5 per week. I hope those who said no do not have the hypocrisy to use the NHS. Ted Prest Eston, North Yorks Jason Beattie’s article ‘Three Brexiteers Ready for Coup’ (February 5) is one of the scariest things I’ve read in recent times. The thought of Johnson, Gove and Rees-Mogg running the country is a highly unpleasant one. They are a throwback to the Victorian era. James Rooney Elgin, Moray Like Garry Larkin (Madeuthink, February 6), I cannot agree with Carole Flint who says we need to let go of the past. We need to remember it to protect the future. I’m a Coventry kid and lost four relatives the night the cathedral was bombed in 1940. Margaret, Rugby, Staffs