Justin Haque, of Slapton, writes: Further to MP Dr Sarah Wollaston's meeting about Devon's NHS and the Gazette's excellent coverage of the Q&A last week, I was rather confused by Dr Wollaston's assertion that six pence in every pound was spent outside the NHS. Perhaps the representative from CCG should have pointed out that of the £391m NHS annual South Devon budget, at least 48 per cent is spent outside the NHS. For example childcare was given to Virgin Care in 2012 in a three year contract worth £120m. This particular one will be renewed in 2015 with an extended mandate to include Child Protection which is causing much concern about whether it is appropriate that a private company should be managing something as sensitive as this. Similarly other contracts like Direct Patient Transport, Serco to name but a few would suggest that aside from owning the buildings, the NHS in Devon has been significantly privatised already. When you broaden the scope to include all of Devon, the very opposite to the Government's beloved 'joined up thinking' is occurring. For example, if you have a blood test at Derriford, they cannot share that information at Mount Stuart because each trust runs different software that is not compatible. In short, when your headline says 'Keeping the NHS safe for town and country', it seems rather ironic for Devon and particularly for childcare, that despite the headlines, the services have been sold off already.