Don’t blame our overworked GPs for crisis in A&E
■ Contrary to what Stephanie from Tooting says about reducing demand on A&E, the NHS does practise preventative medicine (MetroTalk, Mon). It’s why cancer-screening programmes exist, not to mention smoking and alcohol cessation programmes.
The problem is that GP services, where most of these take place, are overstretched. Waiting times are what they are because of demand. Hiring more GPs would bring them down but the GPs need paying for and to be trained. Then there’s the nursing and administrative staff who have to keep practices open for longer and on more days.
Stephanie also says women should not have to wait three years between smear tests but research shows this to be an effective period. It isn’t perfect but when more than half of women don’t attend, things will be missed. Again, this neglects the fact that more screening tests means increased costs.
And let’s not forget the most important part: all of this works only when patients listen and learn. The NHS publishes advice constantly yet so much of it goes unheeded. Another Quack, Newcastle
■ Stephanie’s suggestion that gynaecologists waste their time and skills doing smear tests is ridiculous. The NHS runs many preventative medicine initiatives but even when perfect, these will not stop all A&E attendances.
GPs should work till late and at weekends? How would you like it if someone suggested that to you? A lot of GPs I know opted to be a GP because they wanted their life back after years of working long hours in hospital left them burnt out. Jess, NHS Doctor, via email
■ Sue says Labour as well as the Conservatives are to blame for the NHS crisis (MetroTalk, Mon).
The NHS was created by Labour against Tory opposition in 1948, run into the ground by Margaret Thatcher and John Major’s spending cuts before 1997, and rebuilt by Labour from 1997 to 2010. Since 2010, it has been wrecked again by the Tory-Liberal coalition and the Tories. Every Tory government leaves the NHS in a mess for Labour to clear up. Andy’s claim that the NHS doesn’t need ‘yet more money’ (MetroTalk, Mon) is a useful reminder of what Tories claim outside election time. We spend a smaller proportion of our gross national product on healthcare than other western European countries. Boris Johnson’s election promises still amount to spending less than Jeremy Corbyn. Christopher Clayton, Chester
■ Health secretary Matt Hancock gives rising demand as the reason why the NHS is failing to meet targets for A&E, cancer and other treatments (Metro, Fri). If this is because of an increased older population, the government should have prepared for it. The NHS has
not been getting the support it needs and that, with its human consequences, is the responsibility of the Conservative government. This is what we need to think the next time Boris Johnson makes a pre-election hospital visit.
Kevin, Watford
■ In response to Liz from Staplehurst (MetroTalk, Mon), who says capitalism is key to getting the country up and running after Brexit.
We’ve had Tory capitalism since 2010, so where is the money in the pot? The Tories made a deliberate political choice
to cut funding to the NHS, education, the police and Armed Forces, which is the reason those services are in such dire straits.
Val Rogacs, Saffron Walden
■ The other day I cut my fingers at work and was told to go to hospital. I called my surgery because I thought the cut wasn’t bad enough for hospital but the reply was, ‘We don’t do walk-ins.’
I was trying to help A&E. All surgeries have nurses, so maybe the surgery should take the pressure.
Tanya, Aldershot