It gratifies me to see the continuing interest in practices operating in the NHS. I refer, in particular, to that of discharging patients at all times of the night.

I have a particular interest in this story because I was the one who blew the lid off this scurrilous practice. I learned of it by accident and was so outraged that I wrote to The Times and you know the rest.

I cannot believe the widespread employment of this closely guarded secret was purely coincidental. I wonder how and when it came into use and why.

After all, we are not talking of a third world country that knows no better, or an Eastern Bloc dictatorship that doesn’t know what compassion is; we are talking about our National Health Service. Moreover, this is before our Coalition really got its grubby hands on it.

Another procedure that is in need of thorough investigation is the treatment of people on such benefits as Incapacity Benefit. I wonder how many readers of The Bolton News have experienced, or know someone, who has experienced a visit by some “clerk” who has decided that the beneficiary of this benefit no longer has entitlement and has stopped the payments for no other reason than economic. I know of one woman who suffers from the cruelty of lupus, a very debilitating and incurable complaint. Because she was able to walk about the house unaided, she lost her benefit and Motobility car, in spite of letters and reports from consultants and specialists and her GP.

She has lodged an appeal to a tribunal, but there is a three-month waiting list. She now has the added stress of living without income.

I see the intention of this policy as the real purpose of Cameron’s “Big Society”, where the responsibility for the care of the poor, the unemployed and the sick is moved away from Government to charities. Prior to the inception of the Welfare State, these unfortunates were forced to go to organisations as the Town Guardians and the Society of Friends and beg for money to feed their children.

Finally, I will remind readers of two statements spouted by the now Prime Minister repeatedly during the election campaign, especially on the televised confrontations, namely that “these cuts will not affect front line services”. He also said: “We will protect the most venerable in our society.”

G Firth Tonge Moor