IT is bad enough being ill in hospital without worrying about having a bill to pay.

The Government is toying with the idea of charging NHS patients £5 per night, called a "hotel" charge.

As usual the scroungers and workshy will be exempt.

Worst hit will be pensioners who have worked and been prudent with their mone.

Scroungers and the workshy when in hospital should be made to pay something from their benefits, some of these people run cars, smoke and gamble.

In addition, to raise cash for the NHS, child benefit should be stopped after the third child. Too many families are living off their children. The wealthy should not be given child benefit and the larger salary earners should pay more into the NHS.

Also the lottery should contribute to the NHS and, the better off pensioners with savings over £40,000 should pay prescription charges.

Time after time pensioners who are unable to claim anything because they have some savings (but not a large amount) find themselves, yet again, being milked dry for their hard-hard cash.

H HAMER, Lowther Place, Blackburn.