Peter Rhodes on NHS letters, Labour in Downing Street and how Israel was caught off-guard years ago

In the row over thousands of NHS letters not being posted (computer says no), it's worth asking how important some of those letters are. This week I received an NHS note advising me to get flu and covid jabs. The letter is dated October 4. I had both jabs on September 12.

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Supporting image for story: Peter Rhodes on NHS letters, Labour in Downing Street and how Israel was caught off-guard years ago
Not so urgent?

In December 1987 I was in Israel on a routine press trip which suddenly turned into something darker. A few nights before our arrival, two Palestinian guerillas had flown into northern Israel on hang gliders. One of them surprised an Israeli army unit and killed six soldiers before he was shot dead. The so called “Night of the Gliders” triggered the first Intifada. Israel, then as this week, was in a state of shock and grief and was deeply embarrassed at being caught-off guard.