If only Rishi Sunak could do the maths when it comes to the NHS

It’s good to have a personal project. I like painting. But how does the prime minister’s personal project to get all pupils to study maths until 18 solve the immediate omnicrisis of an NHS near collapse, industrial disputes across the public sector, cost of living constrictions, and so on?  All of these problems need solving today.

True, better numeracy is a great thing; but as was also pointed out by others – more maths teaching needs more maths teachers.

I think this adds up to another distraction or – at least diversion – from the hard choices that need to be made. 

If 500 patients are dying per week, prime minister, due to today’s NHS crisis, how many millions spent on additional maths teachers tomorrow saves the 500 x 52 = 26,000 excess deaths per year?

Ian Henderson

Norwich

Rishi Sunak, regarded as one of the richest ever inhabitants of No 10, refuses to admit to having private healthcare. His spokesperson, when pressed on whether he (and by implication his family) did or did not have first-hand experience of our public NHS healthcare system, refused to answer by sidestepping the question.

What sort of fools are they taking us for? If Sunak and family had no private healthcare and relied solely on the NHS, he and his spokesperson would be shouting it from the rooftops.

It is pathetic to pretend he is fully aware of the acute shortcomings which are resulting in 300 to 500 unnecessary deaths every week. I’m reminded of the picture showing him putting fuel in the tank of a small car – as if it were his own – but in truth was making use of one that just happened to be there at the time of his photo shoot.

Ian Wingfield

Derbyshire

It was so enlightening to read about Rishi Sunak’s plan to ensure that, in the future, people will be able to calculate accurately how much they are short to pay their bills and feed their families.

It’s a pity he can’t calculate how much the NHS needs to save this great institution.

Susan Lammin

Dumfries

Rishi Sunak’s plan to make maths compulsory to study up to the age of 18 must have been influenced by the recent performance of Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng.

But why stop there? He should also make “logic” a compulsory subject – a quality seemingly absent in government ministers, given the mess we’re now in.

Roger Hinds

Surrey