Thank you for the article by Luisa Dillner (How do you mend a broken heart?, 8 June). I am grateful that some solutions of how to deal with heartache are shown. The one I like best is the suggestion of doing sports to get over your ex: “The endorphins released during exercise are nature’s own brand of pain relief.” I always feel better after a challenging workout, even without heartache. Most people experiencing serious heartache feel like never leaving their beds again. Instead, more of them should be made aware of the fact that sport can help them recover. Your mental health will benefit from the endorphin rush as well as your physical health.
Later in the article, Dillner presents the advice that “rapidly beginning a new relationship is actually good for your self-esteem and also weans you off your ex”. I find this outcome of the empirical study – which is done on students – interesting, but it has to be differentiated between starting a new relationship and dating someone for fun. Personally, although the attention of men might be charming, I do not agree with the suggestion that starting a new relationship could help to get over the last. My experience is that it takes half of the amount of time of your broken relationship to recover sufficiently.
Lisa Krause
Ingolstadt, Germany
• I’m sorry to hear of Simon Jenkins’ bad experience while undergoing investigations for suspected bowel cancer (Opinion, theguardian.com, 23 June). He describes the recent National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on GP access to cancer tests as “revolutionary”. However, he is mistaken. GP direct access to services such as endoscopy and imaging for certain suspected cancers has been commonplace for some time; the recent Nice guidance is an attempt to encourage expansion of this practice.
His assertion that “tests and scans at private testing centres cost roughly a tenth of what NHS hospitals charge commissioning groups” is also grossly inaccurate. Under the 2015-16 national tariff, an NHS hospital will receive £659 for a consultation with a colorectal surgeon and colonoscopy with biopsy. The equivalent average private sector cost is £1,820, according to privatehealth.co.uk.
Dr Sam Walker
Imaging department, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
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