Sir - I am a general practitioner of 18 years' standing and am amazed at Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt's naive, populist and partisan suggestions, such as GPs extending their hours to see patients late into the evening (News, November 11).

I get to work soon after 7am, and usually leave for home after 7pm - a 12-hour day. How many more hours would she want me to work?

Why has she singled out GPs for this extended service? Why hasn't she suggested that all hospitals run their outpatient clinics into the late hours and weekends, so that busy office workers, after finishing work, can be seen by the hospital, and not just in the accident and emergency unit? And why stop there? Surely she must insist that all patients wanting NHS appointments with a dentist, or even an NHS eye test at the local optician, should be seen late at night, at times convenient to office workers?

She cites the example of supermarkets opening late at night and at weekends to provide a service for these busy office workers.

May I remind her that a supermarket which extends its opening hours needs to fund the additional lighting, heating and staff costs, but this is paid for by the extra revenue on sales. I have not heard her mention how she will pay for these extended services.

Perhaps the Health Secretary should carefully think through any bright ideas she gets, considering manpower and funding, before sharing this wisdom with her electorate.

Dr Ian Morgan, Solihull, W Midlands

This was in the Daily Telegraph today.