15/09/04

These pampered, overpaid, under-talented prima donnas would mostly be on the dole if they had to rely on what was between their ears.

They are hugely dependent on publicity so freely given by the Press and TV.

Wouldn't it be nice if the media en masse decided not to speak to them, in fact to ignore them totally. It won't happen but it would surely treat these people a lesson. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

FOXHUNTING

HOW would the foxhunt supporters feel if 50 foxes chased one of their hounds until it was exhausted and then ripped it to bits?

To me, anyone that enjoys watching any animal hounded to death has got to be sick. - N Olding, Darlington.

REGIONAL GOVERNMENT

YOUR Comment (Echo, Sept 8) reflects a dartboard mentality. 'Middle for diddle' seems to be the motto but if you looked out, especially on a Saturday, you would find a lot of people, mainly men, from the south of our region have a strong affiliation with Tyneside and Wearside.

I cannot see the argument that Durham City as a location for the future regional assembly can be regarded as being independent of the influences of Tyne, Wear and Tees when nearly all the assembly business will be via the computer.

Surely the River Wear, as it flows round the peninsula, will remind people of Wearside and there are plenty of buses displaying their destinations entering and leaving the bus station every ten minutes. Locating the assembly in Durham City will inevitably divide the region into two distinct halves within an urban north and a rural south.

As for your choice for the Man of the Match or Moment, Ray Mallon, I don't think he would be too keen to pitch his tent on the Palace Green. If it is his intention to make Middlesbrough worthy of the 21st century then I think he will need to devote a considerable amount of time to that enterprise. He does need votes to fulfil his ambitions.

Removing half-starved, drug-ridden beggars from the streets needs little effort but developing ambitious planning schemes relying on foreign investment to create thousands of jobs plus high expectations for the business community requires expertise which cannot be acquired chasing joy riders on dark evenings.

Sir John Hall was going to make Newcastle United "another Barcelona" and Sir Bobby Robson was going to "put silverware in the trophy cabinet" but both men left without saying: "Mission accomplished". Now their statements are just Northern echoes. - Thomas Conlon, Spennymoor.

SO Tony Blair has come round in favour of regional government (Echo, Sept 11) in part because he is in favour of what is called "unitary government", meaning a single council for each area.

But we already have unitary government in Teesside, Sunderland and throughout Tyneside. These are the large centres of population.

It is only in Northumberland and Durham where we have county councils and local district councils.

If he is so keen on unitary government he could have introduced this system without a regional assembly.

If he thinks it is a good idea why did he not allow a vote in Yorkshire and the North-West as was promised? He could then have reorganised their local government. - Stan Smith, South Shields.

RICHARD NEALE

AN INQUIRY headed by a judge into the case of Richard Neale, who left patients traumatised and badly injured after botched up operations, has been published. It numbered 376 pages.

In 1979, when he was working at Prince George Hospital, Canada, several suspicious deaths were recorded; later in 1985, when working in Ontario he was struck off after the suspicious death of a patient.

In 1985, Neale turned up at the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton, being appointed senior consultant. More mistakes followed, women were traumatised by his clinical observations; some suffered terrible incontinence problems.

In 1986, the British GMC was warned from Canada of Neale's record, later in 1991 he was arrested for inappropriate behaviour in public toilets. Both warning signs went unheeded.

In 1995, to get rid of him, the Friarage Hospital gifted him £100,0000 with good references. Armed with these he earned fat cheques in the private health sector, where he carried on with surgery until finally being struck off in 2000 after 34 out of 35 complaints were proved against him.

He injured many women during his inept masquerade; in the 23 years he conned the GMC, colleagues, nurses and patients.

Who corrects mistakes he made to patients who put their lives firmly into his incompetent hands? - Bernard McCormick, Newton Aycliffe.

THOUGH having had some disagreements with The Northern Echo in the past, I thoroughly applaud its exposure of the Richard Neale fiasco.

Oddly, the case has attracted little coverage from the national press, despite it throwing into stark and shocking relief the criminal negligence, incompetence, irresponsibility, dereliction and unconcern of some, at any rate, of the people who run our health service.

If anyone was inclined to believe otherwise, the truth should be clear enough now.

Such people care neither about patients nor the consequences of their own actions. - Tony Kelly, Crook.

NORTH-EAST

I HOPE that the report about lessons in Geordie for overseas nurses (Echo, Sept 9) was a joke.

Surely the numbers of native-born Tynesiders who cannot communicate in basic English must be small and, if so, does not warrant a college course.

Would it not be cheaper to issue these people with a list of phrases ...no, no, no, I cannot go on, it must be a joke.

If the national newspapers take up this report it will fortify the thoughts of, especially the South, that we of the North-East are tribal heathens. - H Geddes, Durham.

YOUNG PEOPLE

YET another big change in the habits of schoolgirls was noted (Echo, Sept 8). It seems that by the time they reach 14 the majority are regular makeup users.

Fifty years ago a little touch of lipstick and a light dusting of face powder was acceptable when you reached 16. Anything more or before that age and you were considered a trashy, slack girl - you know what I mean.

It was similar with stockings (no tights in those days). Your first pair of stockings marked your 16th birthday. Until then it was ankle socks.

It will be a pity if young girls get into the habit of painting their faces regularly with too much makeup. Their skin will suffer and they will certainly lose their fresh, girlish complexion to a false, painted look.

Not every fad and fashion is a sensible one to follow. - EA Moralee, Billingham.