MAY I, through your pages, deliver a message to the persons in the local Primary Care Trust who are responsible for the cancellation of operations (Lives at risk', The Press, December 29).

I am living with constant pain and rarely get a full night's sleep.

I arrive at work ready to fall asleep on occasions, although I am now getting used to sleeping for only two to three hours a night.

You may feel that pain relief is not as essential as life-saving surgery. Well, let me tell you, when my pain is really bad, it is life-threatening, because I cannot cope with this pain much longer.

If my operation is delayed any more, then you will have one fewer "burden" in your system because I will end my life.

I cannot cope with this pain for very much longer. Imagine feeling extreme pain when you simply turn over in bed, or when you try to lift a fork to your mouth to try and enjoy your meal, or even try to wash yourself.

Screaming out with pain during the night is also not pleasant for a husband or wife to hear.

When you have chronic pain you do not live, you simply exist.

I really do hope that some large organisation such as The Press takes on the task of watching every move you make. Health is not a business; it is important you realise that.

You may have a business plan but please do not forget that you are trying to play God now. Do not become the devil.

Name and address withheld l FROM the comments of John Grogan (Selby MP's fears over NHS cash crisis cuts, Press, December 30) and other Labour MPs, you would think that the financial crisis in the NHS was nothing to do with the Labour Party.

Who was it forced on the NHS ludicrously expensive PFI deals so that Gordon Brown could pretend to balance the books?

Who forced private treatment centres' on the NHS? This privatised part of the NHS is guaranteed payments regardless of how much work it does; it cherry-picks the easiest and therefore cheapest work and, when it bungles even this simple work, it is the rest of the NHS which has to pick up the pieces and bear the extra cost.

Who introduced targets which mean that medical and financial procedures are distorted so that the right box is ticked?

In the past, when NHS cuts happened in mainly non-Labour constituencies, we heard nothing from Cabinet members such as Blears and Reid. Now the cuts are spreading to Labour constituencies, frightened Labour MPs are complaining loudly about policies for which they voted.

B. Emmerson, Charles Street, Selby.