SIR: Last year the Queen awarded a George Cross to the NHS in honour of ‘courageous and compassionate’ staff. A year later it saddens me to see blame deflected to GPs and others working in our health service. I urge all readers to look behind some headlines.

There are issues, but it is not the fault of "the NHS" or GPs or whoever else is being blamed or scapegoated. The pandemic has put enormous pressure on our health services and demand is increasing with those now suffering from long Covid. This week we had one of the highest Covid infection rates in the world. Where is the leadership or public health messaging from this government as they pursue the 'just go for your life' approach to the pandemic?

One of the first and most important questions should be why is the government failing to properly fund primary care? It was able to find billions to throw at a failed Test and Trace system or award lucrative PPE contracts to its party donors who then failed to deliver.

We should be immensely proud of our National Health Service and those who dedicate their lives to it. The future of the NHS is already under threat from those who want to profit from it, so please consider this the next time you see or read an anti-GP or anti-NHS headline – it was only a year ago that many of us were on our doorsteps clapping for it every Thursday evening at 8pm!

Yours faithfully,

Sally Yalden

Quest

Braishfield