SIR, — Further to recent correspondence regarding the practice of taking 999 patients to the nearest hospital, regardless of their needs, the East of England Ambulance Service s response (Herts Advertiser, February 21) misses the point. Why waste urgently

SIR, - Further to recent correspondence regarding the practice of taking 999 patients to the nearest hospital, regardless of their needs, the East of England Ambulance Service's response (Herts Advertiser, February 21) misses the point. Why waste urgently-needed time, hospital resources and ambulance availability by taking certain patients to a "holding place" when, if they survive, the ambulance will have to take them on to the appropriate hospital later anyway?

In the end everyone loses.

ANN BRACE,

Rowlatt Drive, St Albans.