I applaud your newspaper of last week for drawing our attention to the exorbitant waste of time and money incurred through people not turning up for their GP or hospital appointments.

In this day of supposedly fast communication there is absolutely no excuse for failing to cancel an appointment. It is a snub to the NHS and their provision of a wonderful free service; it is inconsiderate to others who may have a real need to see their doctor or nurse as soon as possible.

So, yes, without a valid reason, I believe that we should be charged if we miss an appointment. Let’s face it, the NHS needs every penny it can get and to miss a totally justifiable and nice little earner such as a default charge is not half stupid.

Robert Macmillan, Churchill Court Kelham Gardens, Marlborough.