Last week I made a rare visit to my village surgery in order to arrange for a routine hospital procedure, my first medical foray since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Behind the full perspex screen a member of the support team asked me for details and began to book the required appointment.

‘Do you have a mask?’ she enquired. ‘No’ I replied. ‘I thought that we were done with all of that’. ‘Not in a clinical environment’ I was advised, as a disposable mask was pushed beneath the screen in my direction.

I donned the mask.

The member of staff was wearing the same type of mask but hanging from her chin covering neither nose nor mouth.

Two of the three staff behind the screen were also clinically un-masked.

I left the surgery and promptly disposed of the mask. It really is time to move on.

MARTIN FOX Castle Farm Road, Lytchett Matravers