IT was with deep disappointment that I read your front page story of Friday, October 5 headlined "Mum's fight for Rachel".

It is indeed a tragic story and few could not sympathise with the trauma that Rachel's mother has suffered, losing a daughter at such a young age.

Many would understand, too, the emotions and anger that such a loss can fuel and Mrs Hetherington's desire to pursue those she perceives to be responsible.

That the Evening News should collude in the resulting witch-hunt, so many years later, is the cause of my concern.

Perhaps only another doctor can appreciate the distress doctors suffer when they are the focus of a complaint. Conscientious GPs feel criticism deeply. It can be hard to be the target of criticism from those you have striven to help. Where the General Medical Council is involved, long delays for complaints to be heard result in added anxiety and uncertainty.

It is not surprising, therefore, those complaints significantly undermine self-confidence and morale. It is five years since Rachel Hetherington died and Dr Norton has had to wait until now to be exonerated by the General Medical Council, cleared of all blame, not admonished as your article states.

Rachel's mother requests an explanation into her daughter's treatment but she already has that explanation. Rachel's condition was "very difficult to diagnose", "extremely rare" and "any doctor would have treated a patient in the same way". What further explanation is required? Manufacturing a story from old news will certainly not help.

Morale is very low throughout the medical profession. Doctors are leaving the profession early, putting further strain on those remaining.

In Worcester we are lucky. The quality of GPs is high, the standards of primary care significantly better than in other parts of the country. But doctors need the public's support - not witch-hunts.

DR R I MACKICHAN,

Clinical Governance Lead,

Worcester City

Primary Care Group.