This method of fundraising leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. Apart from the dubious way Kings have tried to get round their DPA obligations by using the CEO instead of the charity to send the mailshot, I am concerned that the funding for Kings (and the NHS in general) may move towards a user pays method instead of the free at point of delivery method paid for out of general taxation. If the people who use the service are seen as fair game in a search for funding after they have received treatment, who is to say that a move towards a charge before treatment will not be something coming in the near future. While some of you on here may say, 'fair enough, the user should pay', not everyone who needs medical treatment has the means to pay for it, which is why we have the NHS in the first place. This mailshot seems like a faux pas in terms of Kings PR, but may be more serious for the future of a free NHS if accepted as normal practice.