Telegraph 15 April

1

1. The article by Dr James Le Fanu on bad GPs finding Covid a boon (Health, April 12) reminded me of the wife of a friend of mine who sadly died in his early 90s last year.
2. Much closer to 100 than him, she rang her GP asking for a visit. She was told by the receptionist that the doctor could not visit. It was difficult because of Covid.
3. She exploded, and told the receptionist that at the time of the Blitz she had been a senior surgical sister in theatre at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where they had continued to operate with bombs falling around them. "Don't tell me that Covid makes a visit difficult" - and with that she put the phone down. Twenty minutes later the doctor came.

His Honour Ian Morris
Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey

2

1. Dr Le Fanu has hit the nail on the head. My GP practice informed my 23-year-old son six months ago when presented with a blocked ear canal that syringing of ears was no longer performed at the surgery as it was an aerosol- generating procedure (AGP).
2. However, he was then told that if he felt the procedure was necessary he could visit his local Specsavers and for a fee they would do it for him.
3. As a consultant anaesthetist with much experience of AGPs in the last year, I found this hard to understand. This procedure has never been on Public Health England's list of AGPs.
4. It rather confirmed that some of my colleagues are keen to work and others less so.

Dr Alistair Brookes
Rugby, Warwickshire

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