I support the NHS. I have had three stomach operations and two left eye operations at Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester, and two at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, Portsmouth.

When Aneurin Bevan set up the NHS in 1948 he set it up for British citizens. I have included the details of brochure information documents for non-British citizens to use the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. I count six different languages.

When Bevan set up the NHS it was not for all the world, but British citizens. With the number of immigrants coming to Britain, 632,000 visas granted June 2021-June 2022, 735,000 visas granted June 2022-June 2023, the NHS is overwhelmed.

No surprise it takes two weeks to get a GP appointment, I had a 20-minute wait on the telephone to speak to my surgeon in Winchester, and there are 700,000 hospital appointments where the waiting time is eight months to be seen. There have been frequent reports on BBC Radio 4 Today program about this. We must reduce immigration and non-British citizens must pay to use the NHS.

I am not against immigration, my third stomach operation at RHCH was performed by a Polish Doctor (Dr Slapak), and my father had a lifesaving operation in May 1986 at RHCH, by an Italian Doctor (Dr Oliveri), a ward is named after him at Melbury Lodge at RHCH. Controlled immigration has been a gift to Britain, especially the NHS.

Rupert Pitt,

St Cross Road,

St Cross,

Winchester

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