Great concern at prospect of two tier NHS

THE prospect of a “two tier A&E service” (Yorkshire Post, November 15) is of great concern here in Calderdale when there are repeated reports in the local press – confirmed by my contacts with the district’s health workers – that Calderdale and Kirklees NHS Trust is about to implement plans to combine its A&E services on a site at Huddersfield Infirmary, while downgrading provision at Calderdale Royal Hospital.

Given the increasing traffic congestion and accident hold-ups on the roads between Calderdale and Huddersfield, this will inevitably cause dangerous delays in the treatment of serious casualties arising in parts of this district furthest from the proposed single A&E facility, which could prove fatal in some cases. This damaging proposal should not be allowed to take place.

From: Alec Denton, Guiseley.

YOU published two short pieces (Yorkshire Post, November 18) referring to improvements in practice for the NHS, one from a meeting convened by the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh wanting a ban on ‘boarding’ in hospitals and the other, from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges calling for a ‘seven-day health service’. Both requests reminded me forcefully of my own experience in the LGI last year and are valid and desperately needed – but will anyone take notice?

I was admitted to the LGI the morning of Friday, April 20, 2012, with leg injuries requiring a scan, but unfortunately because of the approaching weekend, nobody was available to do the scan until the Monday afternoon – a loss of three days. The busy Orthopaedic Department also had to ‘board me out’ to a General Ward rarely visited by the Consultants and I eventually had a two-hour operation on the following Saturday morning, a full eight days after admission.

Enforced bed blocking of this kind must be as frustrating for the medical staff as it was for me as a patient and I believe the brilliant surgeons who eventually attended to me deserve much better support from the system.

I made a formal complaint, but after a series of ‘put-off’ letters, felt I was just wasting valuable time and withdrew the complaint – a reaction a former NHS employee later told me unofficially, that this is quite a common.

Anger over lack of leaf collections

From: Mr JC Smith, Beech View, Fryston Lane, Ferrybridge, West Yorkshire.

AS everyone with a modicum of common sense knows that at this time of year and onwards trees begin to shed their leaves, could anyone tell me then why, in their wisdom, do Wakefield Council decide at precisely the same time to cease to collect our garden waste dustbins? This stoppage is until March of next year.

As a person of almost 80, what am I supposed to do? I religiously sweep and vacuum up the leaves and put them in my dustbin. When it is full (usually after two to four days) what next?

Do I just sweep them onto the street and leave them to be blown on to my neighbour’s drive? Am I expected to try and bag them and take them to the waste disposal daily? Firstly, I am not up to that and secondly, what the heck am I paying my rates for?

No doubt some person in the Council hierarchy thought they could save a bob or two by this sort of action. Between now and March, even a monthly collection would be better than nothing. Look at your calendars, councillors, leaves are falling and need collecting. Serve your community, justify your actions.

Calendar in true Christmas spirit

From: Karl Sheridan, Selby Road, Holme on Spalding Moor, East Yorkshire.

NOT that I’m a great fan of the big supermarket chains, however I must congratulate Tesco for actually stocking a real Advent calendar!

It appears that in their headlong dash to cash in on Christmas, most, if not all, of the other stores have forgotten the real reason behind the Christmas celebration – that being the birth of Jesus Christ.

The UK is largely a Christian country yet it appears that any mention of Christianity or Christian events seems to be ‘politically incorrect’ and as a result children are growing up thinking that Christmas is only about receiving expensive presents, and not the birth of a man that has changed all of our lives for the better!

Widening gulf in incomes

From: N Bywater, Airedale Terrace, Morley, Leeds.

PAY packets for directors at Britain’s biggest listed companies have grown 14 per cent in the past year – more than six times the increase in overall average earnings. In 1998 a chief executive’s total pay was 47 times the average earnings of their employees. Last year it was 120 times the average earnings of their employees.

With the Tories being our main party in Westminster, this widening pay gap is hardly surprising. The rich are also paying less tax, thanks to the Tories. The gap between rich and poor got wider under New Labour too.

When the electorate start looking past the promises of the big parties, only then will things improve for the masses.

Russia was our ally in Arctic

From: Dorothy Cope, Beckwithshaw, Harrogate.

IT was interesting to read the letters about wearing poppies with pride (Yorkshire Post, November 11).

Before writing I think Coun Steve Brady should get his history right! As a Second World War veteran, I recall the reason our very brave service personnel braved the Arctic Convoys was to help supply our hard-pressed Russian allies – not, as he states, trying to defeat them!