Our online readers have been having their say on issues that matter to them.
Here is a selection of comments on the NHS.

Colin Hancocks said: “The NHS is badly funded on let me say Shop floor level the wasted money on the middle/ High level management is obvious but just remember the Tories don’t want NHS, they really want to charge you to use doctors and hospitals visit it’s the thin edge of wedge to eventually become like America when we will all to have health insurance again to make the fat cats fatter.”

Patrick White said: “The NHS has become a bottomless money pit, and as such it is now untenable.
“And if a nurse is using a food bank in 2023, she or he needs serious intervention, because they are incapable of handling their salary. There are a great many in this country earning much less, and often after giving a lot more to their jobs.”

Mr Magooo added: “Its all about working to a budget. If nurses, teachers etc are using food banks they are taking away from people in genuine need. Im on a lot less than a nurse and fortunately dont need a food bank parcel.”

Norm Forem replied to Mr Magooo by saying: “Perhaps your mortgage hasn’t increased. Your pay has kept up with inflation. Your petrol gas and electric haven’t increased. Your shopping hasn’t gone up by 16 % or more. Your child care hasn’t soared.
“Many good people including nurses are struggling."

But Mr Magooo hit back: “Everything has gone up for me and the government are a disgrace but Im coping. Nurses saying they need food banks is laughable.”

Pleasant Person said: “The vast majority of people do not accept that the NHS is untenable but do recognise that the Tories have deliberately reduced spending in real terms per person so that waiting lists are longer and infrastructure is poorer. 
“They have gone far beyond ‘efficiency improvements’ ‘waste cutting’ excuses to cause genuine reduction in health care and It is a political decision - the UK pays vastly less than most equivalent economies on medial care, pro rata. We are being lied to by the Conservatives.
We MUST pay more as a country though 95% of the population shouldn’t be taxed any more as a result.”