REFERRING to the Infection team visits hospital' report (SA, November 1), I read this as stating that the problem of infections has been considered by a) a Health Trust elsewhere and will now be considered by b) the local NHS Trust, c) Infection officers, d) The Trust's Medical director, e) the Infection and Control Director, f) The Clinical Quality and Risk committee, g) The Clinical Governance committee, and h) The Cleaner Hospitals Support Team.

We are also told that there is another anti-infection initiative being considered.

I make three points: l There is no estimate given as to when all these persons or bodies will conclude their deliberations and when their deliberations will be implemented, nor perhaps, even more important, how many deaths or serious illness will be caused during this period.

l Why have these steps not been already put in place. Some and indeed probably many have been the subject of reports in the medical press and elsewhere over months, if not years.

l I now go back 45 years when I had just become engaged to a theatre sister at Guy's Hospital, a world-renowned teaching hospital. I accept that some of these present infections have only recently emerged but in those days there was a matron and a team of effective sisters who were responsible for the day-to-day running of the hospital, wards and theatres respectively and I do not know of any infections breaking out as we have now.

I know from personal experience, my late brother having been a consultant urologist, that any infections would have been shortlived and effectively dealt with by the ward of theatre sister involved and if necessary by matron - a veritable army of committees and others would have been considered risible.

I may say that matron was so efficient that she took time to interview me to ensure that I was a suitable person to marry one of her nursing sisters.

I know I am not the first person to say, but I believe it is worth repeating, bring back matron and sisters.

Until then I will remain amazed and disgusted.

G C M YOUNG.

Fairford