I ADMIRE the work undertaken by Michael Wills MP, but am a little confused with his article on the NHS. I am not quite sure how the closure of a military hospital can be aligned to the building of the GWH, an NHS hospital, but feel sure some more erudite correspondent will enlighten me.

Michael suggests the NHS must continue to meet the needs and aspirations of people - a worthy pair of objectives but even the most dyed in the wool socialist must agree that it is absolutely impossible to achieve. It is clear that despite the enormous amount of additional funding made to the NHS by the government there is no chance of every need and every aspiration being met. I suggest it is fanciful and fraudulent to suggest otherwise. Let me quote the government's health czar, Lord Darzi, who acknowledges that the promise of "no more mixed wards" is simply unattainable despite it being an aspiration.

Finally, I would come back to dentistry, this government has changed the face of NHS dentistry in two years. Millions of people no longer have access to an NHS dentist, despite paying record sums in National Insurance, higher Income Tax and more people are faced with the unpalatable choice of literally paying through their teeth for private dental care. It is little wonder the Labour dominated health committee castigated the Health Department for the poorly negotiated GP and dentists contracts.

DES MORGAN Caraway Drive Swindon