Hear All Sides

FOOT-AND-MOUTH

THERE is a constant flow of unlikely speculations about the nature of foot-and-mouth and the actions by the Government to stop it spreading.

This has not been a fiasco, as someone suggested, but deadly serious work to avoid FMD being established in the UK.

The Government and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Maff) knew precisely where FMD came from, thanks to sophisticated laboratory work.

The truth is that Maff has had expert advice as to the kind of virus that reached this country, the source of the infection and the extent of the outbreak.

It was not its fault that the first case was reported late. It is incredible to find some people presuming to know better.

The Government has acted decisively in implementing the "stamping-out" policy. The on-farm activities have not been easy, but the policy seems to have worked. - E Whittaker, Richmond.

TO my mind, the only good thing that has come from the awful foot-and-mouth epidemic is that the general public has been forced to witness a small part of the suffering that is usually concealed behind the farm and slaughterhouse gates.

People now see what they have been conditioned to accept as normal. There is nothing pleasant about killing any healthy animal, whether it be to halt the spread of disease, or for the dinner table.

When animals are killed, they are afraid and they suffer, and if people can't accept that, then they should step towards a more compassionate lifestyle and probably a much healthier one. - P Ward, Northumberland.

HEALTH SERVICE

WE should not be poaching nurses for our NHS from countries that are, in most cases, more desperately in need of staff for their hospitals than we are.

Nursing used to be one of the most popular careers to choose. Could the reason for the dramatic fall in numbers of those entering the service be that too much emphasis is put on self-satisfaction and monetary gain when careers advice is given?

The idea of serving the community and tending the sick is not generally seen as a good career choice as it will mean too much self-sacrifice and hard work.

If advice given to job seekers became more centred on what can you give to society rather than what can you get out of it, there could be an upsurge in people willing to train as nurses; our own home-grown variety, not people brought from other countries. - EA Moralee, Billingham.

SPIN DOCTORS

WE have an unelected body called "spin doctors" in the UK who supposedly advise members of the Government on what to do and how to do it. These people are paid too much out of our taxes.

We have another unelected body in the EU called "commissioners" also paid out of our taxes. These do not advise, they chuck their weight about and we jump to their bidding.

In the light of this, does anyone want to suggest what we are doing having ineffectual MEPs and MPs, also paid out of our taxes.

They appear to be well surplus to requirements? - ME Harris, Darlington.

PENSIONERS

HARRY Mead (Echo, May 30) is being inconsistent when he suggests that because a man of 89 died while waiting for treatment for a broken pelvis, it was because there was no trolley to be found.

The old man would more than likely have died of the shock of his injury and the fact of his age. Then, to suggest a huge increase in National Insurance contributions to pay for a pension linked to earnings would be an election winner is, it seems, wishful thinking.

The point I find strange is why do we suggest many things to benefit ourselves when it is others who will pay the price? Why were these huge tax increases not imposed when pensioners were young enough to vote for such policies? They would not accept it then as I don't see the young accepting it now.

You do not create a wealthy nation by imposing huge tax increases. You give people the incentives to create the wealth and encourage people to put that wealth to good use.

That is the kind of leadership this country lacks and has never had in my lifetime. - John Young, Crook.

HEALTH CARE

WHOLE systems approaches to the care of older people - particularly when attempting to encourage their independence - must involve the independent sector as well as statutory health and social services.

The independent sector is currently responsible for over 80 per cent of all nursing and residential care. It provides no less than 150 million bed nights of care every year.

Using the skills, ideas and resources in the independent sector to promote people's independence should be a natural move for all health and social services authorities in the planning of intermediate care.

The concordat between the Government and the Independent Healthcare Association (IHA) last year called for such a partnership. The experience of the Independent Care Group to date, however, points to a slow start on independent sector involvement in planning and provision of such care.

In the drive to push health and social services into the same framework, has it become the case that, regarding the independent sector, "two's company, three's a crowd"? - Michael Padgham, Chair, Independent Care Group (North Yorkshire).