Healthy way for NHS to proceed

FROM time to time, you publish letters from people expressing their gratitude for some aspect of care they have received from the NHS. This is entirely commendable but it seems to me that their real motive is to come to the defence of an organisation which they see as coming under almost daily attack. Again this is a worthy and understandable exercise.

However, it is important to realise that all the testimonial letters ever to appear on these pages could not excuse the appalling events at Mid Staffordshire nor defend such excesses.

There is no place for misplaced loyalties and sacred cows. 
Where the NHS succeeds in 
its aims (and let me say here that this is much more often than not) it is deserving of our support, praise and loyalty.

Where it fails it should be 
 open to the candour and accountability called for in the Francis Inquiry.

Postcode lottery on flood cover

From: David Bentley, Pickering.

NEVER mind the fact that all policyholders will suffer a relatively small increase in premiums to cover the cost of insurance for those in flood areas.

What about those, like ourselves, who already suffer this due to the postcode lottery?

Our postcode contains about 40 properties, and of these about four have suffered flooding in the last 30 years. Yet we all appear to have the problem of chasing insurers willing to cover us, and when we succeed the premium is savage. Perhaps there is an insurer who can explain this, or is my somewhat cynical view, that they do it simply because they can, the actual situation?