Tuesday, June 20 I made my way to the health centre at Trevaylor Road for a blood pressure check.

Clocking in at reception my eyes fell on a notice on the front desk which read - 242 single appointments missed by patients during the month of May - by patients who could not be bothered to notify the surgery in advance - pick up the phone. Which, I must admit is an improvement on the figure of 296 for the month of March.

Why did these ‘patients’ make appointments in the first place? Their medical complaints must have been trivial otherwise they would have kept their appointments. Imagine the outcry if one or more of the doctors/medical staff decided not to turn up one day without giving notice. The bottom line is 242 would-be patients (some no doubt desperate) missed out on obtaining an appointment.

These ‘missing’ patients need to wise up and show some respect for the NHS, its staff at Trevaylor Road, and their fellow citizens. Their selfish actions are a strong argument for charging patients for an appointment to see their doctor. I can see it coming. There wouldn’t be so many punters missing appointments, and it would cut down on those patients who trot to their doctor every time they have a trivial complaint. And the Tories, in my eyes, have been hell-bent on dismantling our NHS as it stands since 2010.

The Packet might consider contacting the doctors’ surgeries in Falmouth, obtaining the number of missed appointments each month, publishing them, and shame us all into keeping our appointments. It might just help to save our NHS.

Tony Jago

Lister Street

Falmouth