Sir, – It appears that there is some considerable criticism with regard to the health cover of the prime minister and his family – in a recent TV interview he declined to answer the questions from the presenter.
It is a well-known fact that the PM is a very wealthy man, so why should he not avail himself of private medical care? Surely it is logical that a man in such a responsible position, should he require any form of medical treatment, it should be actioned with extreme prejudice.
It has nothing whatsoever to do with lack of respect for the NHS – in effect he is not going to invoke the services of the aforementioned beleaguered system which is currently at breaking point, all down to the totally useless Scottish health minister currently in place and his predecessors who were little better.
A previous prime minister, Boris Johnson, was treated in an NHS Hospital with a severe case of the recent virus, but his sudden near-fatal lapse did not leave any option but to have him taken to the nearest appropriate medical facility, so the case of private medical care was not an issue.
Owing to the major issues with the NHS, it is ludicrous to suggest that the prime minister does “not understand or care” with regard to a much-admired health system effectively going down like a lead balloon, it is blatantly obvious who is responsible for such a shambles over many years.
Several years ago I had occasion to accompany my wife to the ARI and the Department of Nuclear Medicine, which entailed entering the hospital at the far end of the main entrance, and involved a walk along a length of very busy lower passageway, but I did notice that among medical personnel there was a plethora of people, some in twos and threes and obviously not of a medical persuasion, equipped with clipboards, mobile phones, and all carrying files. I did wonder what they were actually doing, although I got the impression that anyone with the appropriate attire could have wandered through the corridors at will unchallenged – so much for security.
Nevertheless, the issues with the NHS seem to be too many “suits” on large salaries – why not have an independent review by executives from successful businesses and pay them by results if they can weed out the chaff.
John Reid. Regent Court, Keith.
Heads in the sand on climate change
Sir, – With the greatest respect to Mr Gray, his memory of his local circumstances does not trump the wealth of accurate data collected on climate change.
He cannot have seen some of the weather before, because it has been record-breaking, even here in the far north, where we are less extremely affected than others.
One of the consequences of climate change has been a weakening of the jet stream which then allows weather events, which previously were corralled by it, to wander further southwards. A hotter atmosphere holds more water and rains more of it out. Increasing greenhouse levels trap and re-radiate heat back to earth. Heat fuels storms and winds. Lightning sparks fires. All the mechanisms are well understood and are basic chemistry and physics.
If he cares about his grandchildren, then I suggest he stops using fossil fuels as much as he can – that is 70% of the problem and is the biggest contribution he can make to their future. He might like to ask them too as many young people are much more aware of the issue than their grandparents.
Lesley Ellis. Reekitlane, Aboyne.
UK offers a better option to Scotland
Sir, – I couldn’t help contrasting the “five problems” that Adele Merson says P&J readers want fixed – all of them within the devolved remit of the SNP-Greens – with the prime minister’s efforts.
Over five days he committed to halving inflation, growing the economy, reducing debt, cutting NHS waiting lists and stopping small-boat crossings to the UK, spent Saturday with health experts to discuss priorities and a plan for the NHS, finishing with an absolute Sunday grilling from Laura Kuenssberg.
Nicola Sturgeon’s approach to the crises is yet another independence debate, heralded by a gloomy press release from her “human shield” Angus “air miles” Robertson bleating that Scotland faces a “stark choice” between remaining part of the UK and a “different future” outside, and a few vague words about workers’ rights.
I think I’ll stick with the UK. Its priorities align with mine.
Allan Sutherland. Willow Row, Stonehaven.
SNP taxes not what the doctor ordered
Sir, – In your report of January 7, you quoted Dr Mack as saying it is getting “tougher” to recruit doctors to rural Scotland. This problem hits the whole of Scotland and can be blamed on the tax policies of the SNP Government.
Scotland has always relied on attracting doctors to come and work here. They might fancy a job away from the big cities, they might like outdoor sports or our lower house prices. These attractions are measured against the hassle of moving and being further away from families.
In recent years there has been an additional disincentive as the SNP lowered the point at which someone pays the higher rate tax and hiked the rate to 41%. A person earning £50,000 in Scotland must pay £1,487 more in taxes than a person on the same salary in England.
That might just be the thing that makes a doctor decide to work in Derbyshire instead Aberdeenshire or Gloucester instead of Glasgow.
Donald MacKenzie. Crown Drive, Inverness.
Media should stick to reporting news
Sir, – I am not a Conservative voter, having said that I was firstly angered by Laura Kuenssberg’s cheap question to the PM on the NHS and your report on the matter. I respect his stance on the ridiculous question as the issue is not can or should people go private but how do we resolve the crisis that the NHS is in?
Obviously, across the political spectrum many solutions are being offered, however, an article in The P&J recently suggested that ideally politics should be taken out of the equation with all possible solutions put on the table, including the use of the private sector. I am sure most would welcome this revolutionary concept but I doubt that those in Westminster and Holyrood would allow such sanity to prevail.
I will close with my pet annoyance that the news media today no longer seem to want to simply report news but create it either for political or financial benefit (by this I mean that a higher market profile enables better advertising revenue).
John Burrows. Pannanich Road, Ballater.
FM reacting over the health crisis
Sir, – The FM with her TV press conference seemed to want to replicate her daily briefings which she contrived during the height of the Covid crisis.
It does not seem to have worked, with tired announcements of extra money, extra care facilities and increased staffing, all of which have been announced in one guise or another over the past year by her health minister.
The announcements have been roundly rubbished by doctors’ and nurses’ leaders and the care sector.
She has stepped in now, I suspect, because Rishi Sunak chaired a crisis meeting with health chiefs in England, including the head of the NHS, and also because her own health minister is not performing.
This seems to be another case of SNP announcements covering non-delivery.
M J Salter. Banchory.
Beware of tumbleweed
Sir, – I am so disappointed after the change in leadership of political parties from a Tory-Labour majority to the SNP, who promised vast changes in the city.
The only visible change I see coming is the closing of the surrounding area around Union Street to keep traffic out of the city centre.
I thought the aim was to attract people to come and shop in the city.
Union Street has no chance now to attract businesses and will continue to sink to a ghost town with tumbleweed blowing down the streets.
Don McKay, Provost Hogg Court, Torry, Aberdeen.
Cafe closures a sign of times
Sir, – So the powers that be need to have a rethink as far as turning Aberdeen and surrounding areas into cafe-land.
At the weekend we had a seaside cafe, Beach Hut at Lossiemouth, shut until spring.
In the big city of Aberdeen, we had vegan cafe, Bonobo, shut following a challenging time, and in rural Fettercairn we had Clatterin Brig cafe close its doors after failing to recruit permanent chefs.
We still have two cafe units in the refurbed Union Terrace Gardens awaiting tenants?
I think this is a hard-to-let category.
So let’s get another plan to invigorate Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Michael North, Lang Stracht, Aberdeen.