Paying for lack of foresight
Dear Editor,
The current parking situation at Hairmyres Hospital is of course unacceptable.
However, the question has to be asked why South Lanarkshire Council did not use their powers to create parking areas at Hairmyres Station as they did at East Kilbride Station?
There was plenty of land available at Hairmyres Station, but the council granted planning permission for the flatted developments that now exist.
It should have been obvious that a similar demand for parking would exist, particularly in view of the major private housing developments to the south of East Kilbride which the council were so active in promoting.
Staff, patients and visitors are now paying the price for this lack of foresight. C J Whitfield, East Kilbride
Continuing the fight
Dear Editor,
This weekend marks the start of the Alzheimer’s Society’s annual dementia awareness week, which begins on Sunday.
It asks people to unite against dementia by raising awareness and offering help and understanding to those coping with the condition.
Every three minutes, someone in the UK develops dementia – the equivalent of 225,000 people a year.
Dementia is a difficult and challenging illness for those suffering and their carers.
Caring for someone with dementia is physically and mentally exhausting – in many instances carers are not only responsible for the physical wellbeing of a patient, but also their financial welfare.
For the past four years, we have been working hard to address the growing issue of companies taking away consumers’ rights to receive their financial information in the format that is easiest for them – be it text, paper, email or a mixture of all three.
We have heard organisations pushing people to receive electronic communication, often without their consent and sometimes even without their knowledge.
People suffering with dementia can struggle to remember the passwords, email addresses and PIN codes needed to access online accounts. If a person receives paper statements, a carer can easily give financial guidance and provide support, enabling a sufferer to maintain their independence for longer.
We will continue our fight to ensure that consumers’ rights are honoured by companies and we ask Advertiser readers to do the same this Dementia Awareness Week. d. Judith Donovan CBE, Chair, Keep Me Posted
Timefortea
Dear Editor,
This is Red Cross Week, which runs until Saturday.
As our main annual event to raise both funds and public awareness of the important work we do, we are keen for people to get involved.
This year, we suggest hosting a simple tea party. The HumaniTea party is the perfect way to catch up with friends, family or work colleagues over a cup of tea and a slice of cake – all the while raising money for our lifesaving work here in the UK and across the world.
HumaniTea will also encourage communities to come together, enabling people to re-establish contact with friends they’ve not seen for a long while, or to forge friendships with new neighbours and other acquaintances and break down social barriers.
Visit www.redcross.org.uk/ humanitea to register your interest. Mark Astarita, British Red Cross