Sir, – Where is this “pressure” that GPs are under, about which the media is constantly reminding us?
The majority of patients over the last two years have been extremely mindful and respectful of not accessing GPs unless the problem has escalated to a vital level.
If fewer patients are asking for appointments then let’s hear it from the GPs. Define your “pressure”.
An article (Press and Journal, January 23) stated that the traditional model of GP services “isn’t a sustainable situation for general practices”. Neither at present is it a sustainable situation for us, the patients. If alternative systems and structures are required in accessing primary care then get on with it, explain it to us, bring us along with you, consult us, be transparent.
The NHS is unrivalled in its practice in all areas and when it comes to an emergency/crisis situation. Primary health care is for all, at all ages. All people everywhere deserve the right care, right in their community. So let’s get the GP service reviewed as the present situation is good for neither party.
Lillian McCulloch, Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire.
Nuclear is not the only alternative
Sir, – I can assure Hugh Millar from Thurso that we all understand that, when there is no wind blowing, wind turbines will not turn but it is not correct that only dangerous and costly nuclear power can fill the gap. Other safe and reliable power sources such as tidal, wave, solar and several hydro systems are available.
I am concerned about the dangers and costs of nuclear. Clean-up costs for Mr Millar’s local nuclear plant at Dounreay were estimated at £2.8 billion in 2008. The site will be available for use in 2323!
The extremely radioactive and dangerous highly enriched uranium and the plutonium have been removed from the site to the US and Sellafield where they will create very long-term storage problems
Building nuclear plants has difficulties. The Hinkley Point nuclear plant being built by the French state-owned company EDF is forecast to come in at least £2 billion over budget and up to a year and a half late. Several other EDF plants being built have also run into problems. When finished, power will be delivered at a cost of £92 a MWh against offshore wind at £40. Nuclear power is expensive!
Hydro power was vigorously opposed by a powerful coal lobby. Conservative governments later used unreliable capital costings to argue against hydro power – which is laughable when you consider the billions poured into nuclear. Latterly the privatisation of energy providers changed the ethos of energy generation from supplying the population with safe and reliable power to generating shareholder profits.
Colin D Young, Newtonhill, Aberdeenshire.
Pope champions a basic freedom
Sir, – In ancient Greece, citizens who became too powerful could be banished by ballot using fragments of pottery – ostraka.
They could be ostracised for being a threat to the state.
The same is happening today in the guise of cancel culture.
People, brands, books, history – you name it – can be cancelled if someone takes offence. Because some aspect is perceived as being racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic and so on.
A prominent world figure has been critical of this threat to freedoms, saying many organisations are pursuing “a form of ideological colonisation leaving no room for freedom of expression”.
“A dangerous one-track thinking is taking shape, one constrained to deny history, or worse, rewrite it. Under the guise of defending diversity, it ends up cancelling all sense of identity.”
These sentiments come not from an ardent anti-woke campaigner but from the Pope.
Political correctness has lurched too far.
Bill Maxwell, Mar Place, Keith.