THE current situation in the health service is not just about the details of weekend working.

The problem is much deeper than that.

Ever since the Griffiths Report, successive governments, Conservative and Labour, have followed a policy of deprofessionalisation.

They no longer want a body of independent professionals whose allegiance is to their patients but skilled technicians whose responsibility is to their employer in a competitive market place.

Unless the government sees sense about this, more and more of Britain’s medical talent will emigrate to places like Australia, New Zealand and North America.

Alan Matthews, Riverside Gardens, Romsey