NHS Titanic

SIR – Fraser Nelson (Comment, July 29) writes that Professor Joe Harrison, an NHS hospital chief executive, says that the “Titanic moment” for the NHS may be August 17.

We have been paying an additional National Insurance premium earmarked for the NHS since April, on top of regular budget increases to the NHS, yet are told that the ambulance service has failed, that GPS and consultants are either working part-time or for the private sector, and that there are too many managers. This must not be allowed to continue.

Rishi Sunak might indeed be just the person for health secretary. He must gather together the best people from the health and other sectors to create a clear strategy, plan to make the NHS what we want and tell the electorate. We cannot afford to waste any more money or time.

John Walker Bournemouth, Dorset

SIR – We hear a lot about older people blocking beds in the NHS, and much lamenting about lack of capacity.

I have been trying to get my father into a private care home for several weeks as, according to the hospital, he is ready for discharge. The home needs to do a patient assessment before it will commit to taking him, and is prepared to do this on the phone. Its staff have been trying, but cannot get anybody on the phone at the hospital to carry it out. Either nobody answers, or the relevant person is not available.

We are going to pay tens of thousands of pounds a year for this care, yet we get no help from the NHS or social services.

Gillian Courage Cheltenham, Gloucestershire