Victims of war left scarred by hidden needs

IT is now reported that there is a higher risk of upset or violence being attributed to former service personnel who have been in areas of conflict. This may not be surprising but various factors may have influences.

The sudden drop of tension, re-introduction into families which may not have existed at the start of the conflict, a lack of jobs or just the break from being part of a disciplined force can all have effects, as do the actual tensions experienced at the fighting front. The latter particularly in recent times when so many incidents have arisen from enemies who are not just to the front but within or behind.

Television makes it easy to project the dreadful injuries and other maiming with multiple loss of limbs, but there are the hidden needs. The word “injury” does not start and stop at what can be seen. Mental problems can be multifarious and even disguised, so may not arise for a number of years, but they all require attention, at times long term.

It is the reason why longstanding service charities exist, as they have had to carry the burden of dealing with the problems from almost a century of wars, certainly since 1918. They will still do so for the life of any former serving personnel and their families as needs be.

The work may be less visible and dramatic but it is equally important and it is only right that the problem is being highlighted as to its sometimes dire consequences.

Bowel cancer is poor relation

From: James Hinchliffe, Beck Lane, Bingley.

I READ with great personal interest the article regarding bowel cancer (Yorkshire Post, March 18).

Yet again we read of the lack of information, or diagnostic ability, by GPs regarding bowel cancer.

It should not take five visits, nor indeed 12 months, to diagnose this most pernicious ailment which is often passed off by GPs as “muscular problems” or “a hernia” when a simple scan can spot it immediately.

It is the second largest killer after lung cancer in females and third after prostate and lung cancer in males and yet it receives little publicity and a great lack of funding.

Bowel Cancer UK is the leading charity in this field and yet it is in receipt of far less funding than most other cancers, funding which is directed solely at bowel cancer research, including attempting to get the word across to GPs on the urgency of early diagnosis.

To this end, a charity lunch and fashion show is being held in Bingley in May which the promoters, including myself, hope will raise funds to further research into this insidious killer which is no respecter of age or sex.

Vote to exit EU at your peril

From: Ian Lyons, Cliffe Avenue, Baildon, Shipley.

IT should not surprise your recent correspondents that I am an advocate for internationalism and peace. Those who have witnessed conflict themselves often fight the hardest to prevent it.

As a soldier, I was fortunate enough to work alongside many different cultures, all over the world, and I saw the value of international development. I also learned that strength lies in diversity, and I am proud to live in a society that still welcomes it.

Nations of people, and the countries they live in, are wrapped up closer than ever before, thanks to the explosion in communications, a key driver of globalisation. We now live in a supranational society where a crisis anywhere can affect everyone else, regardless of geography and almost instantly. The credit crunch and terrorism are just two examples.

So, the proponents of nationalism calling for us to abandon the European Union, and human rights, must understand that the consequences are a divided, and unstable, society which is ineffective at addressing global problems. Our long-term survival and human development will require co-operation on an ever-increasing scale to succeed.

“United we stand, divided we fall”, a vote to leave Europe is a very bad call.