One is so accustomed to the over-used term "crisis" being applied to the NHS it comes as a surprise to to read an objective five-year assessment of it by the much-respected Kings Fund.

Although Anna Coote - who directed the investigation - proffered some quite constructive criticisms when writing in a Sunday paper, she nevertheless claimed, first of all, the Government had "tried to do too much too soon". She also claimed "there have been few outright failures of policy" and concluded, "overall, it appears the Government is travelling in the right direction".

This is certainly not the impression given by most of the national Press, slavishly echoed by the BBC, which seems to welcome any individual scandal somewhere as if representing the whole country. No doubt the future "scandal" will be waiting lists for gene therapy.

-R G Jenkins, Hove