Letter: Walk-in clinics

Sir: The system of walk-in medical centres is alive and well in Australia and New Zealand (and has been for years).

Thousands of Medical Centres are functioning wherever there is a population centre, be it inner-city, shopping mall or small country town, staffed by a receptionist, nurses and at certain times of the day, a GP. No appointments. Just walk in, show your Medicare card (everybody has one) and wait from five minutes to an hour.

It is a cost-effective, practical, fast procedure and is the first line of medical defence and diagnosis.

The doctors' leaders claim that the system is "untried and untested". Nonsense. Do I diagnose the predictable symptoms of futile rearguard action by the doctors' leaders' establishment?

WILLEM IRIK

Romsey, Hampshire