Todd Muller in the Weekend Sun (August 21) is misleading us with his figures for health spending.

Certainly the Government is spending more each year on health, but it is not keeping up with costs.

The Senior Doctor's Union in a TV item on August 13 quoted treasury figures, which show that health spending as a percentage of GDP was 6.5 per cent in 2009, 6.4 per cent in 2012, and 6 per cent in 2014.

The numbers of hospital operations has continued to increase each year but the government is using this to disguise the fact that overall the value of health spending is falling under its management.

News items, about District Health Boards not having enough funds to meet their costs, reinforces the message that the government has reduced the value of its health spending. They have had to borrow about $10 billion a year on average over the past six years to fund their spending. They cannot afford what they want to do and overall health care is one of the losers.

P Dey, Welcome Bay