Rethink advice to diabetics WILL Gordon Brown, our future Prime Minister, be reminded of his declaration that health is such an important issue for him he wants a fresh start?

Could he begin with looking at the latest NHS cost cutting exercise, disguised in the advice to all type two diabetics? All such patients will now be monitored by the HBA1c test regularly as appropriate. This is because the test strips we have used for years are time consuming, inaccurate and can lead to numbing in the fingers and are not worthwhile'. Newly diagnosed patients will not be recommended the use of a blood testing meter either. Those on insulin will be allowed to continue using the test strips.

Unfortunately for the pharmacist who wrote to me, and probably many others, I have not had any of the disadvantages since being diagnosed about four years ago even with daily testing, which kept my sugar levels well in hand.

Now this has been taken away from us we may well be stressed. Unfortunately, too, I was alerted to this threat in the media some time ago when a testing of the water item warned of rising diabetes and the cost to the NHS.

ERNIE SEARS, Netley Abbey.