November 28: Alarm bells ringing over NHS troubles on Hunt’s watch

THOSE of us who cherish our NHS have watched with some alarm the near meltdown in two aspects of the care of the young, sick and elderly by a service stretched to almost breaking point.

The open letter by East Yorkshire GPs to two MPs concerning the crisis faced by practices that could see many operating without a family doctor, suggests that patient care could either diminish or disappear altogether unless Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt acts now (The Yorkshire Post, November 20).

On top of all the stated concerns of the GPs who signed the letter comes the crisis in our hospitals caused by the unprecedented demands placed upon our junior hospital doctors who face long hours, low morale and a level of public expectation that is severely undermining their ability to offer the level of medical care that in the past we took all too much for granted.

Both the GPs and the junior hospital doctors deserve to be listened to, especially the latter, who resort to demonstrations in our cities and the threat of strike action to draw attention to their grievances must surely sound the alarm bells. A rescue act by Mr Hunt must surely be his top priority to save our NHS from bleeding to death.

From: Geoffrey North, Guiseley, Leeds.

I THOROUGHLY support the efforts of Morley MP Andrea Jenkyns who has written (The Yorkshire Post, November 24) about hand hygiene. It doesn’t just apply to children and medical staff – it applies to everyone and especially those who work in catering.

I watch with dismay cookery programmes on television like MasterChef in which the contestants put food on to plates with their fingers when it would just as easy to use kitchen utensils or even wear surgical gloves. Goodness knows what chefs do behind the scenes in restaurants. Perhaps it is better not to know!

From: AW Clarke, Wold Croft, Sutton on Derwent.

DO other readers, particularly the elderly, share with me irritation that pictures of frail older people are always shown by the BBC to illustrate reports about the NHS and its finances?

Pensioners are not responsible for growing old and should not be constantly reminded that it would be cheaper if they left the scene. Perhaps we could have a film of drunken young people who are an unnecessary expense to A&E every weekend?