IN the early hours of January 3, I experienced extreme chest pains and difficulty breathing.

My wife rang 999 at approximately 3.05am and was assured that an ambulance was on the way.

About half an hour later, we received a call to say they were very busy and still on the way.

At approximately 4.40am, a paramedic rang and asked to speak to me, questioned me about the symptoms (which by this time had disappeared) and told me to see a GP in the morning.

Surprisingly perhaps, this is not a criticism of the ambulance service who do a wonderful job, but of the government and its funding of the NHS in general.

Their immigration policy allows thousands of extra people to live in the country and yet they expect hospitals and all other services to just cope as normal.

I suppose in their case they have their private medical insurances and so we mere mortals don't matter.

Over one and half hours to answer what my doctor said was a priority, blue-light call is a disgrace, but still I don't blame the ambulance service.

In my case, had this incident been a major heart attack, I would now be lying in a funeral parlour - and not writing this letter.

TOM COLEMAN

Bridgwater