Polyclinics may not scare Pierre Jeanmaire (Polyclinics are not so scary', Times Opinion, June 19). Well they frighten the pants off me. So does the thought of putting Lord Darzi in charge of the current review of primary care.

Part of the horror story is that money from the exchequer for research has been spent in that well know bastion of national health - the United States. You don't believe it? I don't blame you. Unfortunately, the policies emanating from this unlikely source are already being implemented.

Watch out now for the involvement in this field by well known health experts such as Tesco, ASDA and Virgin. All of these state-of-the-art' clinics will need funding, of course - enter PFI, that panacea of profligate chancellors - and the picture is complete.

Where is the money to come from? Loads and loads of it will be needed. The most likely source will be from the culling of GPs - our local man has already been told that he will not be invited to Finchley Memorial when it is transformed into a polyclinic.

Our health service was created by politicians of vision, such as Nye Bevan, at a time when there was very little money available to fund it and plenty of opposition against it. Such politicians are very thin on the ground today. Poor old Nye - he must be very uncomfortable in his last resting place.

Lionel Byrne
Dollis Park, Finchley