The NHS has always had waiting lists and there is always lots of people waiting to be seen in A&E departments.

The NHS and government are always trying to identify groups of people that cause these problems and in a lot of cases to blame these groups for draining the NHS's resources.

But there is one group that never ever gets blamed. Go into A&E department at any time during the weekend and it will be half full of one particular group. Ask any member of this group about their medical history and they will nearly all have a long catalogue of medical treatments and injuries.

What is this group that is draining the NHS resources - sports people.

Go to any A&E department at the weekend and they will all come hobbling in and any doctors on Monday or Tuesday it will be full of them.

We have yet to see one politician stand up in parliament and condemn this group for filling the doctor's waiting rooms and the orthopedic wards, getting operations for knee and leg injuries.

Every other group of patients get regularly identified and blamed for their cost to the NHS, but never once are sportsmen (and of course sportswoman) ever blamed for causing their injuries or told not to do there sport!

Michael Albin

Blackburn