24 JULY 1959, Page 17

NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE SIR,—Miles Howard, in a book review, says

that health service administration is in- efficient. It would be interesting to know whether he has any concrete information on this point or whether he is subscribing to popular prejudice.

It is very difficult to set any standard of efficiency for administration, as it is for the doctor's work, but it surely cannot be denied that the tremendous organisation is kept running relatively smoothly by a corps of devoted and skilled administrators, to- gether with the lay members on the Boards and Committees.—Yours faithfully,