HOW sad the case of Steven Walker, the surgeon I read about in The Citizen (Nov 8). Life being what it is such things happen anywhere, fortunately not too often.

Before one gets carried away let's take a look at the "up side of things".

My first encounter with the Vic was around 30 years ago when my mother fell downstairs at the Mary McArthy Home, Poulton. The care and treatment -- superb. Reaching 64 years we came to Cleveleys to retire 16 years ago. My very dear wife, progressively disabled due to war work, finally suffering emphysema and arthritis, has received first class treatment from the Vic and our local clinic. During this period I have been treated for ailments which have resulted in three visits to the Vic, once for damage from a fall and twice to see the consultants in oncology and opthalmic departments. I am currently receiving treatment for the on-going effects of a third consultant visit that has put me on the waiting list for a knee and hip replacement.

I cannot in any way fault the procedures at the local clinic and hospital despite the hefty reorganising and computerising I have observed. On my recent visit to the Cleveleys clinic it became clear that our medical care facilities, apart from the waiting list problem, are every bit as good as any European country if not better.

As a much travelled electronics engineer until retirement, I would now be very proud and contented to work in our second to none health service, job satisfaction being the name of the game, not how much more money one can get one's hands on.

I wouldn't know about other parts of the country, of course, but I await my knee and hip replacement operations patiently and just hope it will not be too long.

Alan Clegg,

Stanley Avenue,

Cleveleys.