A RECENT news item on BBC Wales (April 26) highlighted the “Why Wales” cancer drugs treatment campaign, ie seeking donations from the public to buy drugs that are free in England, but not available in Wales due to the cost. We are supposed to have a National Health Service, but is this an unforeseen consequence of devolution?

A 66-year-old man was recently jailed for committing rapes in the 1980s, his defence counsel said that he was in poor health and is soon to be tested for cancer, which raises an interesting point. Her Majesty’s prisons are duty bound to keep their inmates as healthy as possible. Does this mean that HMP in Wales can, if necessary, pay for treatment not generally available to those outside prison? Or, do they transfer their more seriously sick to England? Either way it raises the disturbing thought that the elderly ill criminal could be receiving better care than the elderly ill honest. Perhaps one of the cancer charities or any other interested party could investigate this further.

A Greenhalgh, Ross Street, Newport