SIR – The lead article in the T&A (February 25) about people in certain parts of Bradford finding difficulty getting an appointment with a GP when they need one is very disappointing.

It seems that cuts to funding of General Practice is the main reason, with patient demand rising at the same time.

Perhaps it also highlights the prevalence of the so-called ‘postcode lottery’ where quality of services throughout the country can be uneven and patchy.

It is certainly an issue that must be addressed, but, as a strong supporter of a public NHS, there is one thing that patients can do themselves to improve things a bit and play their part in supporting the NHS.

At hospitals and my own GP surgery, I have frequently noticed a monthly total on display of those patients who failed to attend their pre-arranged appointment. The figure is sadly too often in the hundreds.

This booking of an appointment and failure to cancel wastes time and resources. It also means crucially that someone perhaps desperately needing to be seen quickly might be turned away unnecessarily.

We should not take for granted our ‘free at the point of need’ public NHS and we need to ensure that we act responsibly when arranging any appointment at GP surgeries and hospitals.

David Hornsby, West View Avenue, Wrose