SIR – J R Reynolds (Letters, October 29), should be aware that hospitals are places where people go when they are ill.

Moreover, we are all carriers of disease in one way and another.

Therefore there is bound to be some danger of crosscontamination in such institutions whatever the Government or anybody else does.

The NHS is duty bound to treat all kinds of people from whatever background, of course.

Now, at 90 years old, I find free travel a great boon.

The provision of winter fuel allowances probably helps to prevent thousands of deaths from hypothermia.

J R Reynolds should rejoice that many benefit from these travel, fuel and recreational concessions.

D E MARGRETT,

Worcester.