Letters: NHS system is "outrageous and disgusting"

From the archive, first published Thursday 12th Apr 2007.

OUTRAGEOUS and disgusting are two words amongst others that come to mind in describing how our pathetic NHS system can allow this lovely 83 year old lady who suffered excruciating pain needing surgery for a medical condition which was beyond her control, only to be told that she would endure months of waiting to see a specialist and even more months to have the surgery.

As you so rightly state in your comments this golden couple have worked hard all their lives paying their taxes and national insurance and saved a bit for enjoyment in their twilight years, only to have it taken away from them because of our ever failing NHS system which could not give and did not have the money for the required surgery for an

83 year old woman, who in my opinion so richly deserved her medical treatment entitlement on the NHS.

It's a sad fact that this couple have been duped by our medical system which is or was to be for the working class citizens of this country.

I would also like to add that the surgeons who perform surgeries of this kind on the NHS, are also the surgeons who perform the required surgeries privately (the mind boggles).

I fail to see how when every working person in this country pays their taxes and national insurance, and also to all those retired persons who have paid their dues into the NHS, there is not enough money to help people like Mrs Harvey.

Patricia Hewitt needs to give us answers as to

why and what is happening to our hard earned money. If she can't then she should do the decent thing and resign from her highly paid position at the taxpayers expense.

I am however happy that Mrs Harvey has made a full recovery and wish her and her husband many more happy years together.

I have also sent a copies of this story to Patricia Hewitt and Tony Blair with much stonger letters, not that it will do any good, as people like Hewitt and Blair can afford private health and live in another world.

SUZETTE MIZEN, Barrington Road, Colchester