I NOTE with interest Daniel Sanderson's article on the cost of hospital chaplaincy services ("Call to cut millions spent by NHS on religion", The Herald, April 23).

The "millions" spent on spiritual and religious care in hospitals are negligible when compared to other areas of administration within our NHS, and the effects of such care, illustrated by every study ever undertaken, are incredibly beneficial.

Those desiring spiritual and religious care are taxpayers too and are entitled to support.

Priests regularly visit hospitals on a weekly basis and spend hours in response to the many requests for our ministry, so the average cost of a priest is probably less than the £6 per call-out quoted; perhaps it might be closer to £2. However, all of us are grateful for what we receive, which is probably less than the price of a takeaway.

Humanist Society Scotland advertises itself as being purely altruistic as opposed to these "money grabbing" religious people; could we see a statistic, please, for how often they are requested to attend a hospital?

In my own case, and that of practically every chaplain, we are called out day and night and do so willingly. Most of us depend on our parishes for the mainstay of our income but appreciate the £2-£3 per average hour spent; if nothing else, it helps pay for the fuel.

Rev Dr Thomas J Shields,

20 Melville Street,

Perth.