In 2008 a government report, Mental Capital and Wellbeing: Making the Most of Ourselves in the 21st Century, advised that out-of-control debts are the crucial mediating variable between low income and mental ill-health. In 2010 Prof Michael Marmot’s Fair Society, Healthy Lives advised that health inequalities do not arise by chance, they cannot be attributed to unhealthy behaviour, they are caused by social and economic inequalities in society. Disregarding all expert advice, the government shredded the lowest incomes by £18bn and local government taxed them. Now there is a crisis in the National Health Service. By 2020 the DWP will have shredded another £12bn from the lowest incomes. We can expect worsening health crises.
Rev Paul Nicolson
Taxpayers Against Poverty
• Theresa May (“Nothing’s perfect, May tells Marr”, 8 January) displays a contempt for the British public regarding the NHS. The issue is to know the level of imperfection she believes is acceptable. Could it be that some of the targets are now consistently being missed?
Roy Grimwood
Market Drayton, Shropshire
• While very interesting (How to save the NHS, 6 January), the past 70 years tell us the best way is not to vote Tory.
Richard Wetherell
London
• Would it not be appropriate for all MPs to declare whether they have private medical insurance? We could then judge whether parliamentarians’ hand-wringing over cancellation of operations is empathetic rather than sympathetic.
Colin Burke
Manchester
• Why does no one acknowledge the problem of NHS staff of all grades resigning from their posts to register with agencies to be paid more for doing the same? It is a huge waste of resources.
Sandra Bennett
London
• Why didn’t you interview the citizens of Walford in east London? There, ambulances arrive within minutes of being called, no one has to wait for appointments or sit in crowded waiting rooms, and all are seen by staff in empty hospitals and treated immediately. They’ve clearly got it sorted.
Jean Austin
Crawley, Sussex
• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com
• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters
