LETTER : Training of surgeons at risk

Sir: I was glad that you highlighted some of the problems of the Health Service ("The truth about health: An ailing service is ignored by the politicians", 30 April).

I quite agree that most of the real problems in the NHS have not been addressed by either of the main parties. I would, however, like to draw your attention to the problem you did not mention. Future doctors will be trained under the extraordinary impression that all surgery is either an emergency or urgent. Our medical students and surgeons in training will get little, if any, experience in dealing with routine but usually very successful elective surgical conditions.

Professor JOHN A DORMANDY, FRCS

Department of Vascular Surgery

St George's Hospital

London SW17