ON Saturday, December 30, a short article appeared in The Bolton News giving the information that The National Clinical Director for Primary Care, Dr David Colin-Thorpe, "believes patients should see their GP for check-up, even after major surgery".

He apparently thinks "time could be better spent in the operating theatre".

If only this is what really would happen. Apart from any administration problems, maybe some thought should be given to the patients who have had the surgery - in my case, lots - and I want reassurance from the surgeon who did the operation that it was successful (or not) as the case may be.

Unless GPs are fully cognizant with the type of surgery involved, how could this possibly give an all-clear or back referral to anyone?

Can a GP look at surgery of which he has had no part in and give a totally informed view? Of course not.

Totally inadvertently, important details may be missed because of the lack of how procedures are carried out, and, to be frank, lack of knowledge of the surgery involved.

His comments, "if we force them to spend hours sitting in a room simply telling patients they are recovering fine", is bizarre in the extreme. Some patients do not "recover fine" - some fare badly and need the help of the expert in their problem to assist and/or reassure.

I wonder how many consultants actually think they are wasting their time speaking to patients - if it is more than one, it is a very sad state of affairs. Caring or what?

Alice Evans Manchester Road Westhoughton