I've always enjoyed Hilary Thomas's articles and admire her courage at writing about her breast cancer, but I was quite saddened to read what she said about not realising what her patients had to go through until she had experienced it herself.

I've always enjoyed Hilary Thomas's articles and admire her courage at writing about her breast cancer, but I was quite saddened to read what she said about not realising what her patients had to go through until she had experienced it herself.

If this is true of all doctors and managers in the NHS, what hope is there that patients' voices will really and truly be heard by the people delivering their services?

Jean Robinson, head of information, Nottingham City PCT