One method politicians like to overuse when beginning a speech is to sing the praises of the NHS then demand more money.

In the recent letter from Dr Gupta (The Press, February 27) we heard the case for promoting the pension privileges of GPs.

This highlights a major problem with the health sector which nobody ever dares to talk about - the complete lack of financial triage in the NHS.

I find it hard to justify how those at the top of the medical hierarchy, with high pay, generous benefits, early retirement and the backing of a union which can whip up public support against the Government in an instant, are again the ones asking for more.

Most memorably in 2004 the BMA scrapped doctors seeing us at night in a bargain even their own negotiators couldn’t quite believe.

Helping patients is not always the main reason some, and I stress the word some, go into medicine.

We easily prioritise our own interests, we’re all guilty of it - hence regulation is needed.

More cash for the NHS is fine, but it is time they started distributing it better, starting with those at the bottom of the NHS pile.

While Parliament passes laws that will nationalise our organs, they should look at nationalising the whole GP system and start structuring the pay scales fairly.

Dr Scott Marmion,

Woodthorpe, York