Not being a pensioner who needs to bother his doctor very often, I had the unfortunate reason to endeavour to find what was wrong with my hearing aid, was I suffering from blocked ear?

A call to my surgery, they will probably guess who they are, I was held by the receptionist who demanded what was wrong.

I want to see my doctor I say.

What are your symptoms?

I don’t know if the person I am addressing is medically qualified so I trod carefully.

If I need ear wax suction by the nurse they don’t seem interested.

In desperation, if that’s the word, I find that the surgery in Alexandra house is now operating in South Hants hospital under the name of Inhealth.

I used to get treatment with a lovely bunch of staff for free under the wings of NHS, now I have to pay £60 in advance.

It was either that or wait for my surgery to fit me in at the end of November.

I appreciate that it is not life threatening, but now we seem to pay for many things that were once free.

I would point out that some illnesses are the result of old age so once again it’s the pensioner who pays.

I hope I do not have the need to call at the Victor Street surgery for a while.

Alan Blandford

Southampton