Sir, Your editorial on July 1 was rightly effusive in its praise of the NHS, now 65 years old. It is undoubtedly an institution “well worth protecting”.
However, you imply that the NHS remains a UK-wide institution, but since 1999 the NHS in Scotland has been entirely devolved.
The continued success of Scotland’s NHS since devolution from record patient satisfaction to the abolition of prescription charges confirms the benefits of self-government.
Moreover, it begs the question: if we can skilfully run our NHS, why not our economy? If we can make decisions about the care of our sick, why not decisions about benefits and Trident?
The NHS as we know it is under threat from Westminster’s privatisation agenda. Severe cuts will be inflicted upon the Scottish NHS as a result of the Barnett Formula, as the Tories withdraw state support for the English NHS.
Levels of investment and standards of care could be put at risk.
In 1948, as the post-war welfare state was being built, Westminster reached the zenith of its progressive appeal. That era of solidarity and social democracy at Westminster is, sadly, long gone.
However, in 2014, Scotland has the opportunity to rekindle the spirit of that noble cause by saying “yes” to independence and “yes” to the NHS.
David Kelly. 17 Highfields, Dunblane.
Why did he not point it out at the time?
Sir, I am writing to express my utter disgust at the parking ticket I received at Ninewells Hospital on June 26.
I drive a van it is required to run my business as a tiler and on arriving at Ninewells with my partner and eight-month-old daughter who was attending the sick kids ward I discovered I didn’t have any change for the meter.
I spoke to a parking attendant to let him know it was my van and that I would be going to the shop to get change. After the hospital visit I discovered a ticket on the van stating I was outwith the parking bay.
My van is wider than other vehicles and the parking bays are extremely narrow, but the wheels were on the line.
Why did the parking attendant not mention this earlier when I spoke to him about getting change? He could have said I needed to move it a bit further over or might face getting a ticket.
I had paid £2 for a parking ticket and we were dealing with an ill baby.
I will not be paying that second ticket!
Lee Paterson. Rose Cottage, Main Street, Crook of Devon.
Consider things carefully first
Sir, In reply to John McCann’s letter of June 22, the title “Rev” was not ascribed by me to myself, it is a formal title given at ordination.
Regarding the matter of considering the implications of actions that will change life, the teachings of Jesus clearly call for careful thought. His parable of the king who goes to war against a superior force cautions the hearer to consider the outcome, when faced with a hard choice.
On another occasion he claims that the “children of this world” consider the implications of their actions, weighing up the best options before committing themselves.
There are cases in the New Testament of Christians who did not do this. For example, John Mark joined Paul’s first missionary journey, only to return home before the party moved up into Asia Minor.
Paul records at the end of his second letter to Timothy, that Demos has left him and forsaken his faith.
Jesus never encouraged anyone to make life-changing decisions without consideration of all the implications.
I do not consider the minister’s family and pension to be “my priorities”; they are important considerations, together with all the other factors that will require to be taken into account by any minister and congregation contemplating cessation from the Church of Scotland.
Rev Jack Gisbey. Whitemyre House, 28 St Andrews Road, Largoward.
Two helpful young lads
Sir, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the two young workmanlike lads who came to my assistance last week when my mobility scooter broke down in Birnam.
Several people tried unsuccessfully to get it going, but they then appeared from the newsagents in Birnam and, after a further unsuccessful attempt, they loaded it on to their 4 x 4 vehicle (registration number R335 XJN) and took the scooter and myself back to my home, where I was able to telephone the firm who supplied the machine.
The company responded within half an hour. But if it hadn’t been for those two lads I could easily have been stranded for some considerable time. I am very appreciative of their assistance.
Eileen Ford. 21 Servite, Willowbank, Dunkeld.
Need balanced approach
Sir, The Minister for the Environment rightly speaks of a blight and has proposed a toughening of the legal response to crimes against birds of prey.
In 2010 we and other authors from many sides of the conservation debate wrote a report for an SNH conference on resolving the red grouse hen harrier conflict. We were clear that enhancing legal provision was only one of a number of ways to address this conservation conflict.
Our partnership continues to seek evidence-led ways as well as the application of the law to resolve the conflict in parallel. Research is under way to establish whether fears about impacts on game and wildlife are justified. We are testing practical ways of reducing impacts and are actively engaging the landmanagement and conservation communities in discussion.
This approach is needed to establish whether there are ecological or other reasons why the threat of legal action has not resulted in an end to the illegal killing of raptors over the last 30 years.
Where there are such reasons, a modern, balanced package of responses will be needed to support and enhance all of Scotland’s wildlife.
Dr Adam Smith. Director, Scotland Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, Unit 95, Perth Airport, Scone.
Confusing messages from the SNP?
Sir, Dundee’s bid for UK City of Culture 2017 is being fully backed by the SNP-led Perth and Kinross Council and the SNP leader of the council sends the warm congratulations of everybody in Perth and Kinross to Dundee (The Courier, June 21).
But the SNP are separatists and as such their aim and purpose is separation from the rest of the UK next year. Confused or what?
It would be much more appropriate to one’s integrity to send one’s own honest, logical and personal warm congratulations to Dundee’s success in reaching the United Kingdom competition shortlist.
Joan McEwen. King James Building, Hospital Street, Perth.
Wind power is not the problem
Sir, May I suggest that retired haematologist Dr Wardrop should heed his own advice and stay out of the field of electricity generating policy.
As an engineer, may I assure everyone that there is nothing wrong with the quality of wind turbine generated electricity and that most wind turbines, provided they are appropriately sited, produce plenty of electricity.
The presumed unreliability of the wind does not cause problems, there is no need to keep expensive thermal steam plant as running standby and in any case the amount of gas turbine generators now available to the grid means that, in fact, there is no need for any thermal steam plant to be used as running standby.
Wind power in fact saves natural gas which now is mostly imported.
The problems Dr Wardrop describes regarding the exploitation of the energy poor general public, by the energy rich electricity companies are in fact the direct result of Margaret Thatcher’s 1989 Electricity Act which created electricity companies who are guaranteed a profit by the electrical regulator.
This, in one fell swoop, turned a nationalised industry where everyone cooperated together to minimise the cost of electricity, into a small number of multinational owned corporations, monoliths, who attempt to maximise their profit at their customers’ expense.
None of these companies compete with each other to reduce the cost of electricity and changing the name of the company who sends you the bill does not change where that electricity is generated.
Dr Wardrop’s obsession with wind power seems to have blinded him to these other aspect of the growing energy supply problem.
Philip Roberts (BSc Mechanical Engineering). Ascurry Mill, by Letham, Angus.
The junction is perfectly safe
Sir, Two correspondents have requested traffic calming measures at Bridgend, Perth. Their reason for doing so is that there have been accidents and near-accidents at the junction.
I have crossed that junction by car and on foot for more than 40 years and I have found it perfectly safe. As is the case with many junctions, streets and roads which are labelled unsafe, it is some drivers that are unsafe, not the roads.
George K McMillan. 5 Mount Tabor Avenue, Perth.