Letters: NHS curing more people than ever - so it needs more cash

SIR - In October I had an eye appointment at Lymington hospital and was told my next appointment would be in five weeks.

The appointment came through for 19th December, which was then cancelled by the hospital and they sent me a new appointment for the 3rd December 2020!

I queried this and a new appointment was made for the 12th March 2020 - a long five weeks.

I worked in the medical records department until 1979. People ask why the health service needs more money and it’s quite simple.

Back in 1979 there were 44 consultants in the Southampton area - my late father being one of them. Now I see that there are 27 orthopaedic consultants alone, but back in 1979 there were three.

The reason the health service needs more money is because they are successful and cure many more patients than they did previously.

To end this being used as a political football would it not be a more simplistic idea to give the NHS a percentage of the national budget rather than a lump sum?

Dudley Todd, Address supplied