Sir, Last week, my brother, who is nearly 78 and recently moved to Didcot, cut his hand badly while at home. He went first to the nearest general practice (not his own). There no interest was shown in an elderly man who was bleeding heavily and he was told to go to his own GP.

He went to his own practice on the far side of Didcot. Here more concern was exhibited but, in the absence of the practice nurse, nothing could be done. He was told to go to the minor injuries unit in Abingdon.

His options were now:

To find someone to drive him but in Didcot he knows only relatives and they were all working outside Didcot; return would have taken time

To call a taxi but that would have been very expensive l To take a bus but that, too, would have been time-consuming and distressing for other passengers as the flow of blood could not be contained

To drive himself.

Despite the pain in his hand, he drove himself to Abingdon Hospital where, after a wait of one and a half hours, the wound was stitched. Then he drove back to Didcot.

Surely there is something wrong with a system that obliges a 77-year-old, with severe bleeding, to drive seven miles for treatment.

Forty years ago, after a fall in Park Road, I, too, needed a cut to be stitched. This was accomplished at Didcot Hospital about 20 minutes after the injury occurred. So much for progress!

Jenny Perry

Park Road

Didcot