I have some sympathy with the chief executives of acute trusts surveyed in your report. The Department of Health.may end up paying a high price for its game of 'central credit and local blame'.

I have some sympathy with the chief executives of acute trusts surveyed in your report. The Department of Health.may end up paying a high price for its game of 'central credit and local blame'.

For all the.sympathy I have for hospital chief executives (and I agree fully with their assessment of Mrs Hewitt's merits) I have to ask the question, if Alan Milburn is the solution, then just how bad is the problem?

New Labour has not managed to find a single competent health secretary throughout its ten years in office.

Dr Peter Davies, GP