WITH regard to your news item ("Patients wait nearly two years for joint surgery". The Herald, May 27), you state that “waiting times in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have soared from 47 days to 60 days”. This must be last year’s waiting time, as in my own experience it is considerably more than 60 days.

I received the obligatory Scottish Government waiting time letter offering surgery within 12 weeks. The 12-week period expired on February 20. Two weeks ago I received a phone call from the orthopaedic surgeon’s secretary, on whose list I was on, informing me I had been transferred, or “dumped” on to the Golden Jubilee Hospital list. I should expect to receive any further communication regarding hip replacement from them. I would probably hear from them in June. This appeared to be the best that could be done.

Thus in my case an initial 12 weeks' wait is of course 84 days; time to day of writing from February, 87 days. So I make that, so far, a waiting time of 171 days. So it would appear to be a waiting time of around 200 days –more than half a year before I get treatment. I suspect I am far from alone in experiencing such delays in treatment which far exceed any waiting times you are quoting. I am no stranger to the system, as I had a hip replaced nine years ago at Gartnavel Hospital which took around six weeks.

The Scottish Government guarantee letter is virtually meaningless.

Eric Flack,

70 Crawford Drive, Glasgow.

I TELEPHONED NHS24 at 8am today (May 29). I had a call back 15 minutes later and a further call back at 8.25am. My details had been sent to the Out of Hours clinic at Stobill Hospital, where I would see a doctor. I left the clinic at Stobhill one hour after arriving having been seen by a doctor and a diagnosis and advice given. I was dealt with courteously and efficiently. I was home by 10.30am.

I’m wondering which politician might use this information in the election campaign?

John Maclean,

32 Bellevue Road, Kirkintilloch.