Sir, – Has there ever been a section of our workforce, so essential and so undervalued, as those employed in care homes, tending to the needs of our loved ones now frail in mind or body?
In the opinion of the foolish, it’s the occupation of those who couldn’t find better employment but, in reality, they’re nurses only lacking the status.
These thoughts entered my mind on visits to a dear friend, cared for by a cheerful and attentive group of many nationalities, in whose native language my friend proudly bade each good morning.
That this greeting occurred in the afternoon is very much an example of a keen mind now held hostage by the demons of dementia.
From what I observed he appeared content and well cared for, but barely a week passes without a care home coming under fire as an unannounced visit from the Care Inspectorate found conditions far from their liking.
Although very much in favour of inspection, my only concern is how much practical experience members of the team possess.
Do they have someone with hands-on experience of dealing with the challenges faced by carers, which on occasion I observed during my visits, or is their expertise obtained by reading articles on best practice? The task of a carer is far from easy and finding sufficient staff will always be difficult.
The term “angel” has often been used to praise the attributes of a nurse, but I have yet to hear this accolade directed at a member of care home staff.
It is time we gave proper recognition and financial reward to those involved in one of society’s least glamorous occupations. Fate may one day place any of us in their care.
Ivan W Reid. Kirkburn, Laurencekirk.
Scandal of hill fires on grouse moors
Sir, – I refer to Ross Ewing’s letter of August 4 representing the interests of Scottish Land and Estates – many of whose members manage about 1.5 million acres of Scotland as grouse moors for commercial grouse shooting.
In his eyes it is therefore logical to claim that setting the hills on fire will lead to regeneration.
It does indeed – but almost entirely of heather for the grouse, the aim being to maintain the hills exclusively for driven grouse shooting and nothing else.
Many people accept this created landscape as being normal and natural – and even iconic, but it is nothing of the kind. Our current moorland landscape was created for shooting purposes from the late 1700s onwards and is maintained as such by the current management system.
The tragedy is that different management can create a rich and varied landscape providing recreation for a wide range of countryside users
Areas where natural and man-assisted regeneration occurs are infinitely richer in wildlife than incinerated grouse moors and walking the hills, as I do, it is a pleasure to come upon regenerating areas where burning is not practised – birds, butterflies, flowers and trees all thrive – and there is room for grouse too!
The exclusive use of so much of our country with its creation of such a degraded landscape is a national scandal.
I note that Mr Ewing tells us that muirburn “merely burns off excess vegetation”. I wonder what exactly is “excess vegetation” – and who decides it is excess?
Colin D Young. South Headlands Cres, Newtonhill.
Double standard of the insult game
Sir, – Don McKay (Letters, August 6) describes Liz Truss as having an anti-Scottish mentality, indeed, hatred for the Scottish people because of her comment of Nicola Sturgeon being an attention seeker.
He then compares her to a truss and suggests she wear it as a face mask.
Apparently his insult toward Miss Truss is acceptable but her comment is a slur on the entire Scottish nation, which is typical of the way so many independence supporters polarise the opinion that they are right and can say what they want whilst everyone else is wrong and should be censored.
Scots who support the Union are vilified by the SNP trolls but I’m afraid the SNP does not speak for all of Scotland and in the overall scheme of things being called an attention seeker looks like a pretty soft insult by comparison to some of the comments from Miss Sturgeon or Ian Blackford toward Boris Johnson and the other Conservative leadership candidates.
The comment was made about the first minister, not the Scottish people so why imply every Scot was insulted by it? Maybe Miss Truss is right to say that the first minister should be concentrating in resolving devolved issues such as police, education and public finance rather than the regular cheap insults toward the UK Government and opposition.
Fix Scotland and show we have politicians that can actually govern our present needs rather than the current hare-brained vision of an independent nation. The present government in Scotland will only be able to fool the people for a limited time. Soon the image and the reality will become clear.
Walter Service. Fairview Manor, Aberdeen.
Laws needed to address e-scooters
Sir, – Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is proposing a new law of causing death by dangerous cycling.
This is to be welcomed but he needs to add e-scooters since unfortunately e-scooters will soon be legal on UK roads.
Cyclists and e-scooter riders should have identification, a high-vis jacket, a helmet and insurance and, dare I say it, pay to use the roads. At present they can injure pedestrians but ride off and there is very little chance of the police apprehending them.
Fleeing the scene of an accident should carry the threat of a prison sentence.
The offence of riding on the pavement needs substantial financial penalties imposed to deter reckless cyclists.
This will require the police to apprehend cyclists and e-scooter riders which at present they seem reluctant to do.
Clark Cross. Springfield Road, Linlithgow.
Let’s not worry who is indigenous
Sir, – In his letter from August 8, John G Phimister speaks his mind – as he can do, thankfully, in this country.
He tells us in no uncertain terms what he expects from the next prime minister and what, in his view, this country needs: a prime minister who puts the “indigenous British people” first.
I wonder what criteria Mr Phimister would use to determine whether or not a person belongs to those “indigenous” inhabitants of these isles.
According to Wikipedia, indigenous peoples are “culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region”.
That would exclude a great many UK citizens who may have been born and bred in Britain but whose ancestry might not go back to the Stone Age. Since “indigenous” relates to ethnicity, it would also exclude anyone non-white.
The consequences of such an approach can be looked up in history books. I hope that no British PM will ever go down that dangerous path.
Regina Erich. Willow Row, Stonehaven.
Buck shifting over the ferries debacle
Sir, – Islanders and tourists alike are impacted by the current chaotic situation on the west coast ferry routes.
This has been brought about by a combination of too few and ageing ships coupled to a complete failure over a long period to grip the construction problems with new ones.
All that we see are repeated attempts to shift the blame between Scottish Government, civil servants, CalMac and ship builders: none will accept responsibility and no-one has the honesty to raise their hand and say “mea culpa”.
Perhaps the most important role for any legislature is to hold the executive, in this case the Scottish Government, to account when it or those it delegates to fail to perform.
Willie Rennie is right to suggest a recall of the parliament.
Alasdair Laing. Logie House, Forres.
Reform of NHS is long overdue
Sir, – The EE article about the NHS not working for patients or its staff shows that, as far as I’m concerned, significant reform of the National Health Service is long overdue.
A Royal Commission would be a good starting point to look at ways of streamlining bureaucracy, avoiding duplication and making best using of increasingly scarce resources.
One of the fundamental issues to address is funding.
We’re currently using 21st Century clinical treatments funded by the same system as when the Beveridge Report created the NHS in 1948.
One option is a social insurance system like many of our European neighbours have.
This is not a US-style private medical insurance system, but a scheme run on insurance lines paid for by the state out of our taxes. These systems are not complex to administer and countries using them, such as the Netherlands, have much better patient satisfaction ratings than our NHS.
Regrettably, no political party has an appetite for NHS reform so many patients will have to suffer declining standards of healthcare for the foreseeable future.
Jonathan Mitchell.
Too late to celebrate
Sir, – It’s too late now for Aberdeen football club to be granted the freedom of the city, 40 years too late!
It is usually given to respected residents, so who at AFC would it be awarded to now?
Sir Alex Ferguson was granted it in 1999, so that should be the end of it!
It seems like the councillors just want a good night out at our expense!
T. Shirron, Davidson Drive, Aberdeen.
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