I WONDER how many patients of the surgeries in Looe, Polperro and Pelynt have pondered the ramifications of the code number being changed to 0870 as of next week. The call rates will rise from 3 pence to 6.7 pence per minute, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. The reason given is that the telephone system needs upgrading to give patients a better service and it is the only way of achieving this as the Primary Care Trust is refusing to give the surgery any more money. For Primary Care Trust, read the New Labour government. It is yet another stealth tax and is going on in many surgeries all over the country apparently. It will hit not only those patients who do not have access to the internet to shop around for a cheaper telephone service, but most importantly the frail and elderly who have greater health needs and who are very often living on limited resources. It is an absolute scandal.

Mrs Lesley Lee Looe