SIR - Regarding the reforms in the National Health Service, the latest plan is a complete U-turn. This is the one that advocates building up cottage hospitals and directing money to them away from general hospitals.

Many cottage hospital beds have been closed down in view of the present government's previous policies. There is now a major strategic shift as described by Patricia Hewitt. The small community hospitals cannot provide the service and the equipment that a general hospital is designed to provide.

There seems to be the idea that the majority of doctors have acres and acres of time that they need to fill. Again, this is fantasyland. Another factor is that the majority of patients have no difficulty in reaching hospitals as car ownership is now common practice. What I suggest is that every hospital should have a free car park for its patients that is big enough for the requirements.

This is not rocket science, though, it appears to be beyond the authorities in Worcester. Anyone who watched Tony Blair on the Richard and Judy show on January 30 this year got the impression that the Prime Minister did not know what he was talking about. He is also being told fairy stories by the wrong people.

CHARLES ENTWISTLE,

Consultant psychiatrist (retired), Droitwich.