The GPS who have been continuing to see their patients face to face

sir – I am disappointed to read articles and letters bemoaning GP services during the pandemic.

I naturally cannot speak for all GP practices, but at the four surgeries I have worked in during the pandemic (and out of hours services), we have continued to see patients after telephone triage; we have performed video consultations and conducted e-consultations and home visits.

Many colleagues, like me, were at much higher risk of death or serious complications from coronavirus, especially prior to vaccination, yet we continued to see our patients face to face where clinically necessary.

We are now doing our best to deal with the fallout of the crisis, not least mental health problems, and dealing with non-covid work that hospital colleagues would normally carry out. Dr James F Sharp

Tenterden, Kent sir – The article by Dr James Le Fanu on bad GPS finding Covid a boon (Health, April 12) reminded me of the wife of a friend of mine who sadly died in his early 90s last year.

Much closer to 100 than him, she rang her GP asking for a visit. She was told by the receptionist that the doctor could not visit. It was difficult because of Covid.

She exploded, and told the receptionist that at the time of the Blitz she had been a senior surgical sister in theatre at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where they had continued to operate with bombs falling around them. “Don’t tell me that Covid makes a visit difficult” – and with that she put the phone down. Twenty minutes later the doctor came. His Honour Ian Morris Sunbury-on-thames, Surrey

sir – Dr Le Fanu has hit the nail on the head. My GP practice informed my 23-year-old son six months ago when he presented with a blocked ear canal that syringing of ears was no longer performed at the surgery as it was an aerosol-generating procedure (AGP).

However, he was then told that if he felt the procedure was necessary he could visit his local Specsavers and for a fee they would do it for him.

As a consultant anaesthetist with much experience of AGPS in the past year, I found this hard to understand. This procedure has never been on Public Health England’s list of AGPS.

It rather confirmed that some of my colleagues are keen to work and others less so.

Dr Alistair Brookes

Rugby, Warwickshire

sir – Since March last year the NHS has given me a new hip, mended a cataract, operated on a hand for Dupuytren’s contracture, and this week performed a second cataract operation.

Not bad for an organisation dominated in the year by Covid. In the background, many routine procedures have been accomplished and the many medical and non-medical professionals have been magnificent in maintaining a superb service.

Ian Bolden Bradford-on-avon, Wiltshire