IT IS unhelpful that local NHS Trusts present such a one-sided view of their options for renewal at the Royal. They have consistently favoured its demolition, reducing its beds and having all patients nursed in single rooms.
To demolish a structurally sound 30-year-old building would be environmental vandalism – and the cost would be more than we and our children will be able to afford.
Further reduction of beds would be ill-advised, since an ageing population will generate sick and vulnerable people in numbers guaranteed to outpace planned community provision.
The frail and the sick need observation, comfort and care. These all become impractical if patients are closeted in single rooms – and this is recognised at the Royal where existing single rooms are often used as offices for the staff.
There is still opportunity to properly renew the Royal, to enable it to better serve the people of Liverpool and Merseyside and to do this Liverpool Primary Care Trust needs to commission an architectural proposal for refurbishment and renewal rather than proceeding blindly to demolition.
Dr Emlyn Williams, Consultant Physician, Royal Liverpool University Hospital
A nightmare
I FEEL like I’m in a recurring nightmare – Gordon Brown (as are the two other main party leaders) is talking about learning from last Thursday's elections about listening and engaging with the electorate and all are talking about blocking the BNP – including some questionable anti-democratic tactics.
But not one of the three main parties has committed itself to deal with the problems of mass immigration, despite not just the BNP but UKIP and the Tories making the subject a main element of their campaigns for last Thursday's elections (the Tories disingenuously actually referring to non-EU immigration).
Until the main parties implement policies that deal with the problems of mass immigration, including the Nursing and Midwifery Council's concerns about the large numbers of children born to immigrants, they are guaranteeing significant and growing support for the BNP and if they try and legislate to suppress the BNP they risk precipitating violent extremism.
Mark Bill, via email
Remorse
IN THE retail world, they call it “buyers’ remorse” I believe.
Well, the people of the North-west who allowed a racist to be elected to Brussels are in for a shocking case of it over the following 12 months.
If the Burnley example is anything to go by, then the regret will set in as soon as those people who voted the BNP in as some sort of protest – not to mention all those who chose not to vote in the mistaken belief that they would somehow be hurting the Government by doing so – realise what this deplorable party really stands for.
I feel so ashamed that the UK now has this man representing our interests in Europe. He does not represent mine.
A Williams, Warrington
Migrants’ plight
HATS off to BW Hale for his worthy concern for the plight of migrants fleeing economic hardship in Communist North Korea (Daily Post Letters, June 4).
I trust we can expect a similar show of solidarity towards the plight of the many millions more migrants fleeing similar (and in many cases worse) conditions in the overwhelmingly capitalist countries of the Third World.
I fully expect, therefore, that Mr Hale will join with us Socialists in calling for an immediate relaxation of the UK’s immigration laws, so as to offer these economic migrants the chance of a better life in our country.
Better still, no doubt he will join us in calling for an end to the imperialist exploitation and impoverishment of the Third World by Western big business.
After all, it is precisely this that forces people to have to seek out better lives in far-off countries in the first place.
Anthony Molyneux, Netherton
Shark attack
I HAVE been wondering why is it that the Tory MP Ann Winterton, who was sacked but later reinstated by her then party leader, Michael Howard, for telling a joke during an after-dinner speech mocking the death of the 23 Chinese cocklers in Morecambe Bay, seems to know a thing or two about the eating habits of sharks.
The explanation came when recent revelations showed that she, together with her other half, has been tearing chunks out of the public purse for years before they announced their retirement at the next General Election.
Now that the credibility of politicians is fast sinking into the abyss and the MPs’ reformed expenses system is putting greater restrictions on most of the previously easy morsels, it is a case of “fins ain’t what they used to be”.
Rennie Ku, L8
Cynical view
SO JANE KENNEDY becomes the latest (wo)man overboard in the sorry saga that surrounds our political lords and masters at Westminster.
She cited Gordon Brown's macho politics and character assassination as reasons she finally decided to call it a day in this washed-up government.
As with all these resignations, or standings-down, however, there was very little said about what was best for the people of this country, simply what was best for her political party.
Cynical it may be, but I'm afraid I for one long ago gave up hope that anyone who takes a salary in the Houses of Parliament ever really stops and thinks about the people they are elected to govern, simply how they can cling on to the trappings of power for as long as possible.
Jane Thompson, Allerton
