SIR – In his letter (Worcester News, March 22) Neil Laurenson quotes Dr Mark Porter, chairman of the BMA, as saying that the Health and Social Care Bill will damage the NHS.
Dr Porter is head of the doctors’ trade union body – it is his job to protect the interests of his members.
As I understand it, the reforms are about providing an opportunity for services to be commissioned and delivered in new and more innovative ways.
If the Bill delivers this then I believe it’s worth supporting.
With regards to charging, we are told that the health service is facing a funding gap, perhaps for several years to come.
So why not ask patients to pay a contribution towards their accommodation costs while in hospital, or a small charge to see their GP or consultant. After all we already pay when we visit the dentist or optician, what is the difference?BRYAN WEST
Worcester
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