Letters to the Editor

Sir - How sad it is to again hear of the dreadful care and standards within the care industry ('Nurses struck off', T&A, November 29).

It seems strange that every year residential and nursing homes are inspected by the government bodies yet we still see evidences of neglect of this nature.

May I suggest the following questions are considered: Why do many nursing homes around the country rely on agency nurses, which by the way cost the home double the wages that a permanent member of staff does? Why is the staff turnover in many homes so high?

Continuity of quality care practices and ongoing staff training should be expected to meet individual needs (not the 'I'm qualified and don't need any more training philosophy').

Even more important is the retention of staff so patients and clients can recognise who is bathing them and caring for their needs.

I appreciate there are some wonderful care and nursing homes with dedicated and caring staff and incidents like these don't do them any favours.

Matthew Brannan, Horton Bank Top, Bradford.

Hands off smokers

SIR - It's about time the likes of Dame Yve Buckland (chairman of the Health Development Agency), Sir Liam Donaldson (Government Chief Medical Officer), Chris Leslie MP and all the other bleeding hearts stopped knocking smokers.

If they are so concerned that the smoker is costing the NHS a fortune they should persuade Gordon Brown to transfer the tax on tobacco products to the Health Service. If successful, it may stop them whinging.

As regards Chris Leslie and his ten pennyworth - he gets very little right and hopefully next year might find him back in the private sector where he cannot do much damage.

A J Lund, Lennie Street, Keighley.

Missed opportunity

Sir - Perhaps we shouldn't have been surprised to read Mike Priestley's wonderfully balanced piece on the topical 'public smoking' issue (T&A, November 20), but his previous words on this tricky subject may have led us to expect a more stridently negative position.

The fact the Government is now planning to legislate reflects the clear failure of the fragmented hospitality industry to adopt structures and behaviours which could have rendered the proposed legislation unnecessary.

They have had ten years to see it coming and, if they had only grasped the nettle, providing separate areas and adequate ventilation, all could have co-existed in relative peace and mutual comfort.

As it is, their businesses now face dramatic reductions in takings in many areas, with consequent loss of jobs, while previously cleaner-air homes will become more polluted by their stay-at-home smokers, inflicting even denser secondary effects on fellow, often young, residents.

On a wider scale, this risks causing substantial, and backward, changes to our leisure landscape, as 'drinking pubs' re-emerge to accommodate smokers which, when stripped of their food and family attributes, may quickly descend to the less-than-wholesome standards of more than 50 years ago.

Graham Hoyle, Kirkbourne Grove, Baildon.

Nowhere to ride

SIR - Once again motorbikes have got a bad press (T&A, November 23). These young boys are not true motorcyclists who belong to clubs and run legal events.

I can understand the people of Wrose being annoyed when a group of young boys ride on land which is a playground but why not find space in the area for them to go?

The law says they must be 16, the bike must be taxed and insured and they must wear a helmet.

In today's society many parents do not consider it is their duty to teach their children right from wrong, it is up to others to do that - I think not!

Julia Hudson, Glenview Grove, Nab Wood, Shipley.

MPs should act

SIR - The Forum Focused on Pensioner Power organised a petition demanding free transport for pensioners in line with London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

The petition containing over 2,000 signatures was presented to Coun Stanley King, chairman of West Yorkshire Transport Authority, at City Hall, Bradford.

The petition was in support of an Early Day Motion to be presented to Parliament which, I understand, was not presented due to lack of time.

However, I was led to understand that Coun King had presented the petition to our MPs for their support. On contacting Coun King I was advised that he had a reply from Marsha Singh MP to the effect that our petition had been noted.

I think our members and the pensioners who signed our petition are entitled to a better response than this from our MPs.

Why do we have to seek this information? Are not our MPs in Parliament to represent their constituents of which a large and growing number are pensioners?

Audrey Raistrick, Westgate, Victoria Road, Bradford.

Be an organ donor

SIR - As charities involved with transplant patients and donor families, we are backing an important life-saving initiative - and are seeking the support of T&A readers.

The NHS Organ Donor Register is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year with a national challenge to encourage one million more people to think about organ donation and join the register.

More than 11.8 million people have already registered their wishes to help others after their death - and the more people who sign up, the more lives can be saved.

Nine out of ten people say they support organ donation but only two out of ten have got round to join the register. Signing up and making sure your relatives are aware of your wishes prevents them being faced with a difficult decision later.

If you have a donor card but haven't put your name on the register, your good intention may not be put into practice if you're not carrying it in the event of your death.

Please give others the chance to live. To find out more simply call the Organ Donor Line on (0845) 60 60 400 or visit www.uktransplant.org.uk.

UK Transplant, Fox Den Road, Stoke Gifford, Bristol.

Litigation targets

SIR - Hospitals across the district are cashing in on compensation culture by displaying claim line adverts in A&E departments (T&A, November 23).

On the surface it all seems well-intentioned but in a litigious society, where even a broken fingernail might instigate court proceedings, hospital management should be aware that their employees could become potential targets.

Nursing staff often have to make on-the-spot decisions and must continue to do so without the sword of Damocles hanging over them.

All very well supplementing income but not at the expense of demoralising a conscientious workforce.

Managers must be extremely nave not to realise that just one successful claim against them could swiftly turn any monetary gain into a loss. After all the buck stops with them.

David Rhodes, Croscombe Walk, Bradford.

Stop moaning

SIR - Regarding the issue of a Christmas market, how can retailers and traders in the Oastler Centre complain when they close early on Thursdays?

I would have thought they would have been happy with a chance of extra trade compared to a normal Thursday evening.

As for getting home from your shopping trip, how is 30 minutes waiting for a bus acceptable?

Bring on the Christmas market.

Mrs M Willis, Mount Avenue, Eccleshill.

We'll be back...

SIR - Just a letter to say thank you to the staff of the shops in Shipley. During our Christmas shopping trip they could not have been more helpful.

In the days of bad service, regularly written about in the papers, I would say forget that in Shipley.

We will be back every few weeks for our shopping trips.

Don & Frania Vickers, Cragg Avenue, Leeds.