Dorset’s Clinical Commissioning Group recently held a meeting in Sherborne and I was shocked to hear that some £3 million will be spent by the group on a consultation process. Surely this could have waited until after the next election.

It may be surprising to learn that there is no country in the world that runs a world-class national health care service with public spending as low as that proposed by the present government in the autumn statement. A most precious institution is now facing a perilous moment in its history.

This week Labour has launched its major election pledge on the NHS, promising to repeal the privatisation laws and once more strengthen democratic control and also to bring in tougher restrictions on hospitals which are increasing their focus on private patients.

Some patients in the South West have been left in hospital because they could not be discharged due to a lack of community social care. Labour has promised to end the culture of the 15-minute flying visit by care workers by recruiting extra social care staff and this will help to integrate care from hospital to home.

We need a long-term view on the NHS and there should be no place in the system for companies which put profits before patients.

Linda Rees Bygrave, The Paddock, Sherborne