Letters: Why patients are still struggling to secure face-to-face GP appointments

SIR – J Meirion Thomas (“Nobody dares admit that GPs aren’t working”, Comment, August 17) makes the point that virtual consultation was advised by NHS England in March 2020 as an emergency measure. 

Our local practice ceased face-to-face consultations at Blakeney surgery in March 2020, but is yet to reinstate them. Indeed, it has now applied to close the surgery altogether, on the pretext that no one attends consultations there. 

What was intended to be a measure for extraordinary circumstances looks set to become permanent.

Michael Archer
Blakeney, Norfolk

SIR – To make assumptions about my workload as a GP based on the number of days I have appointments is reductionist. 
I have three days of appointments a week; these will usually consist of 12 hours of patient contact each day. A further 10 hours per week are spent on administrative tasks and managerial duties. This equates to a 46-hour week – not a part-time job. 

Just because I am not seeing patients on a certain day does not mean I am not working. Would we judge an accountant or solicitor’s workload based solely on how many hours of the week they spent talking with clients?

Dr Tom Hutchinson
Oxford

SIR – As a “part-time” GP, ostensibly working three days a week, I regularly work more than 40 hours during this period. Most people, including hospital consultants, would consider this full-time work.

One has to wonder why, if general practice is such an easy, well remunerated job, people aren’t flocking to it rather than walking away after completing training.

Dr Patricia Broadbent
Sheffield, South Yorkshire

SIR – In contrasting his recent experience of the NHS with the (superior) treatment his cat received at the vet, Richard Hall (Letters, August 18) says that a difference is that he paid for the latter care. 

Is he not aware that he has also paid handsomely for the former through his taxes?

Derek Wellman
Lincoln

Migrants from France

SIR – Why is anyone surprised that fewer migrant crossings have been halted by the French authorities despite the payment of £480 million by the British Government (report, August 18)? 

Every migrant prevented from crossing has to be dealt with in France, so there is no incentive to stop them. The only way the traffickers’ business model can be broken is if every intercepted migrant is immediately returned to France regardless of how near the English coast they are. 

If an agreement were reached for this to happen, the money paid to the French could be used to help with the cost of processing. Genuine refugees would then be welcomed into Britain, and economic migrants dealt with accordingly.

Trevor Joyce
Canterbury, Kent 

Demoralised students 

SIR – After suffering the shock of the A-level reset with my granddaughter on Thursday, I found myself in full agreement with Martin Stephen (“Generation Lockdown has been failed again”, Comment, August 18).

If my granddaughter had achieved the same marks last year, her results would have been at least a grade higher in each subject. This hard-working cohort, which has endured lockdowns, remote learning and teacher strikes, has been left feeling totally demoralised.

Rosalind Corzberg
Watford, Hertfordshire

SIR – I completed my A-levels during the pandemic, grappling with untouched topics and fearing Covid on each trip to the exam hall.

Thanks to this experience, I can confirm that the remark by Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, that “in 10 years’ time no one will be looking” at students’ results, will have simply irritated those who’ve just had their futures upended. In her efforts to jolt exams back to normality, Ms Keegan has instead yanked many a university dream away.

Our A-level grades play a crucial part in our futures. By claiming they are less significant than the subject we read at university, Ms Keegan fails to consider that grades are what determine whether we qualify for higher education. Students have struggled with Covid and strikes – and now some have missed out on university. Yet the Education Secretary has the audacity to suggest that they needn’t fret.

Sam McManus
Weybridge, Surrey

The Malkinson case

SIR – The case of Andrew Malkinson (report, August 18) has highlighted far too many weaknesses in our justice system. 
It appears the Criminal Cases Review Commission requires staff of a much higher calibre. Also, it should not be worried about “costs”. It has a job to do and must do it.

Roderick I Archer
Weybridge, Surrey

Run-down Army

SIR – Hearty congratulations to Tobias Ellwood for stating what has been obvious for many years (“Troop cuts mean Army unable to respond to floods, MoD warned”, telegraph.co.uk, August 18).

The gradual reduction of the Armed Forces, by successive governments over a long period, has not just reduced Britain’s ability to cope with natural disasters and serious strikes. The matter is much more fundamental. Our leaders have neglected their prime duty: to guarantee the defence of the country and the protection of its citizens.

Alexander Simpson RAF (retd)
Market Drayton, Shropshire

Vital triple lock

SIR – I can only assume that Dr Michael Pegg (Letters, August 18), who argues that the triple lock is unsustainable, has a substantial private pension. 

Otherwise he would understand that living on less than £10,000 a year (approximately half the current minimum wage) is virtually impossible. Instead of citing percentages, it is also helpful to talk about actual cash – an 8 per cent increase is around £760 a year for most pensioners.

If anyone receives the increase and doesn’t need it, I would suggest donating the money to charities that help pensioners living in poverty.

Jacqueline Hawkins
Hove, East Sussex

World Cup at work

SIR – I am looking forward to the Women’s World Cup final on Sunday and wish the Lionesses the very best of luck.
Your report (“Let England football fans work from home or they’ll call in sick, bosses told”, telegraph.co.uk, August 16) discusses Acas’s workplace guidance.

Our advice for employers is to consider having advance agreements in place for staff who are keen football fans. This can help businesses remain productive and prevent issues such as staff calling in sick, who could then find themselves subject to formal proceedings later.

These agreements can include being flexible around the use of radio, televisions or personal smartphones at work for those keen to keep up with the match. Organisations may want to let staff swap shifts with those who may not be big football fans, or allow them to take leave if it will not be detrimental to their business.

Susan Clews
Chief executive, Acas
London SW1

SIR – I posted a tax return (“HMRC at home”, Letters, August 18) on July 31 and paid for it to be tracked. It still hasn’t been delivered. 

Royal Mail assures me that it will have tried several times. Are HMRC staff all at home, and their office closed?

Geoff Yates
Preston, Lancashire

SIR – My sister and her husband recently received a letter from HMRC that asked them to supply a document with “wet signatures” from an authorised signatory. 

Exactly what century is this organisation living in?

Gaynor de Luchi
Llanrhaeadr ym Mochnant, Denbighshire

Parky’s genius

SIR – Michael Parkinson’s particular genius (Obituaries, August 18) was for inviting two or more totally disparate guests, who one would never imagine had anything in common – such as Sir David Attenborough and Billy Connolly back in 1998. 

I remember that Sir David explained, in detail, the devious egg-laying practice of a particular bird, which was designed to confuse her mate, to which Connolly responded – to great hilarity – that it reminded him of his own family. 

The brilliant combination of these two masters, both at the top of their game, continued throughout the programme.

John Birkett
St Andrews, Fife

SIR – Everyone will have their own favourite memories of Michael Parkinson. 

Mine is his account of a round of golf he played with his fellow Yorkshireman Brian Close, the captain of Yorkshire, Somerset and, briefly, England. Close, having played poorly, eventually threw his bag of clubs into the lake and stormed off, swearing that he was finished with the game for life – only to be discovered later wading in the shallows in search of the bag.

When Parky asked him if he had changed his mind, Close replied that his car keys were in the bag.

Tom Stubbs
Surbiton, Surrey

SIR – I thoroughly enjoyed Parky’s stint as a Telegraph sports columnist and have often repeated his tale about Bomber Wells, a spin bowler without a run-up, who was also a notably poor fielder.

The story recalled a batsman hitting the ball into the outfield where Bomber was enjoying banter with his fans. “Catch it, Bomber” went up the cry – and catch it one-handed he did, without spilling a drop of the cup of tea in his other hand.

Iain K S Gray
London SW18
 

Beers better suited to the pudding course

SIR – I can’t imagine what the Campaign for Real Ale experts think about the popular range of Aunt Bessie’s tinned beers. These include jam roly poly and custard pale ale, and sticky toffee pudding and custard porter. Perhaps the next crop of Great British Bake Off contestants would find them useful.

Dave Alsop
Churchdown, Gloucestershire 

SIR – For several years, pubs in Carlisle were under state control, which resulted in a lack of competition between them and lazy managers. It was not uncommon to be told: “There’s no demand for sandwiches” (Letters, August 18), if you dared ask for one. 

However, after the demise of state control, these hostelries were sold to breweries and entrepreneurs, which reinvigorated competition. I remember one that advertised a menu of more than 100 sandwiches, including variations of ham and cheese on white or brown bread, or in a baguette. When studied closely, there were actually fewer than 20 choices, but all had excellent ingredients and were extremely tasty, hence the establishment’s popularity and success.

Cliff McKnespiey
Cardew, Cumbria

SIR – Sadly, what Andrew Perrin paid for his lunch (“Peak prices”, Letters, August 18) is about right these days. I too recently met a friend in a pub, where we had a sandwich each, shared some skinny chips and both had a soft drink. The bill? £34.40.

Diana Walsh
Stoke Gabriel, Devon

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