HAVING spent a bit of time in hospital lately, and having been very well treated, I am concerned about the major changes our Tory Prime Minister is going to implement.

Many people will probably agree some changes need to be made, but this is a step too far.

The Tories have never liked the NHS and I think this is privatisation through the back door.

Isn’t it ironic that over in the US, a president is trying to form a National Health Service, while over here we have a government trying to dismantle it.

Edward Halliday, Langley Moor JIM ALLAN is right to quote Titus Petronius (HAS, Jan 19) in the context of NHS reform: “We trained hard but every time we had formed up into teams we were reorganised. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganising, and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while actually producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralisation.”

When I was teaching I had this quote prominently displayed by my desk.

What Jim omitted to mention was that Titus Petronius committed suicide shortly after!

I, along with many others, took the rather easier course of early retirement.

Bill Bartle, Barnard Castle.

IN Wednesday’s Prime Minister’s Questions it was revealed that the Conservative Party has received a £750,000 donation from those involved in providing private healthcare (Echo, Jan 20).

Such a substantial donation simply reflects their support for the Conservative Party.

Consequently it is pure coincidence that the Conservative-led reforms of the NHS will also benefit those within private healthcare who gave them such a substantial donation.

CT Riley, Spennymoor.