Politicians’ quack fixes overburden the NHS

SIR – Every government pledges to reorganise the NHS. They always fail, and the only certain outcome is more regulation, red tape and complexity. Has patient care ever improved as a result of such a reorganisation?

Judith Woods (Comment, June 10) snipes at the NHS, but the NHS is its workforce. Surely her ire should be directed at the generations of politicians who have applied quack fixes for political gain. Why does she not take aim at bureaucratic excesses?

Let’s hope the next “reorganisation” – and it is sure to come – will reduce the administrative burden on NHS staff and not compound their misery. Robert Ginsburg

Retired consultant anaesthetist London NW11

SIR – Years ago, I was the director of a busy ear, nose and throat department while also working as a full-time clinician.

To get just one badly needed junior clinician appointed, the application had to be approved by a series of administrators via endless committee meetings, locally and centrally. It was usually rejected because of the cost.

At the same time, new administrative posts were created by administrators without any reference to the clinical staff. At one committee, two new administrators were present. I asked what they had been employed to do and was told: “Save money.” That was more than 30 years ago.

Keith Ferris

London SW1