Your headline report about Lister Hospital s problems is perplexing. We have been told that health spending has been rising over the past few years but every year the health service s problems seem to get ever larger. Can anyone tell us – has the Lister H

Your headline report about Lister Hospital's problems is perplexing. We have been told that health spending has been rising over the past few years but every year the health service's problems seem to get ever larger.

Can anyone tell us - has the Lister Hospital ever managed to operate within its budget or very near to it?

If the answer is yes, then what has changed? What has been the average budget annual increase (%/year)? Clearly, their costs have risen faster than that - so what costs have increased the most?

I see that the roads by the roundabout in Lytton Way have recently been painted red with white stripes in time for Christmas. The highways people seem to have plenty of cash - perhaps some of their budget should be steered towards Lister.

DAVID STONEBANKS, Address Supplied

* Labour have thrown billions at the Health Service in their usual quick-fix form of decision making. Well, now the real cost of this massive waste is becoming only too apparent to ordinary people; redundancies and closures.

Hewitt, Follett and everyone else at the Labour trough will hopefully reap the only just reward for supporting this shameful attack on the NHS. The now standard line of "it will only work if it is big" is a feeble attempt to cover up the massive mismanagement of the NHS.

The awful realisation that we have to suffer this bunch of inadequates for another two or three years makes you want to curl up and die!

CHRISTOPHER KELLY, Kingsway, Stotfold

* With reference to the front page article in The Comet - Closing Time? If the NHS does decide to close hospitals in our area, where will people go for treatment?

It does seem a dreadful waste of money when you consider that the A&E Department has been refurbished and the X-ray Department has also been revamped.

A complete new cardiac suite has also been put in place.

What will happen to all the wards?

DIANE BEARDSLE, Jarden, Letchworth GC